


One-Shots

by DogsRock235



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist, Danny Phantom, One Piece, Other fandoms - Fandom, Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: AU, Angst, Canon, Humor, Time Travel, crossovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 06:23:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 64,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9422348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DogsRock235/pseuds/DogsRock235
Summary: These are just some random oneshots I've come up with over the years! Some are from fandoms, some are crossovers, and some are from my books over on Wattpad! Enjoy reading!





	1. Ghosts of the Past: Different Circumstances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Ned had come back to the dorm later in the night during Chapter 7?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don't have to read Ghosts of the Past to understand this, but I recommend it.

"Kaneki?" Ned asked slowly. "Are you okay?"

Kaneki didn't answer, head down, eyes averted.

"Kaneki?" Ned repeated.

A quick crack echoed in the room, and Ned flinched as his eyes watched the finger bend.

"Come on, dude. You're scaring me. Quit it already." Ned pleaded.

There was silence, and then Kaneki lifted his head, eyes locking with Ned's.

Ned realized Kaneki didn't have his usual eyepatch on, and he quickly realized why he usually did.

The eye was pitch black, the pupil and iris a blood red, and small, red veins on the outer skin of the eye.

Ned's breath hitched. "Kaneki..."

"You were supposed to be home a while ago," Kaneki murmured.

"I...got back late," Ned said, his tone shaky, quiet.

"You should've called and told me ahead of time," Kaneki said, tone quiet with the slightest hint of anger.

"I didn't..." Ned swallowed thickly. "I didn't really expect to come back to..."

"This?" Kaneki finished Ned's thought. "You didn't expect to come back to your roommate looking like a monster? I'm sure you didn't." His tone was not mocking, only sincere.

Ned wished Kaneki was mocking him.

"Why does your eye look like that?" Ned asked cautiously.

"An accident. It looks like that when I'm hungry," he answered.

Ned laughed nervously. "Then eat something. It's not going to kill you."

"No, but it's going to kill you."

Ned didn't dare scream when Kaneki was suddenly in front of him and ripping his shoulder apart with his teeth.

Ned just shut his eyes and desperately tried to muffle his sobs.

He wished he hadn't come home at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, slightly dark. This is one of the ideas I had for a Ned reveal, but I cut it out and changed it a bit to use for Lily's scene. This scene is kind of short and has a bit of a cliffhanger, but this was as far as the idea had gone until I decided to change it. Bye my doggies!


	2. Demon Within: Dan's Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These are just some random oneshots I've come up with over the years! Some are from fandoms, some are crossovers, and some are from my books over on Wattpad! Enjoy reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember Dan's question in Chapter 34, when he wondered what really occurred in the shack? What if Wendy told him?
> 
> (You won't understand this if you haven't read my book Demon Within on Wattpad)

"Are you sure?" Wendy asked.

"Positive." Dan nodded.

"Kailee and Demon are, well, demons. They have a curse which forces them to eat human souls to survive. They were dying because of something called a Demon Orb. It's used to control demons, but slowly kills the demon while in its control or if it's taken out of it. I can't expose too much, but Mabel and Dipper's uncle was able to cure Demon and Kailee. Tray also confessed his love to Kailee." Wendy laughed.

"A human loving a demon? That's pretty cliché." Dan eyed Wendy.

"It's the truth. Promise you won't mention anything to anyone about this? I trust you, Dad, but if word gets out, Kailee and Demon will be in danger." Wendy sighed.

"I've already said this. My lips are sealed." Dan remained firm.

"Thanks, Dad." Wendy smiled.

 _'Soul-devouring demons, huh? They're really just kids finding a place in the world. I'll be damned to Hell if I ever think those two were ever evil,'_ __Dan thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but some type of wrap up! If any of you doggies recall from my book Demon Within, Dan's last line, or thought, was him thinking he would one day wish to know what really happened in the shack. This was the wrap up to that line. Bye my doggies!


	3. Demons and Ghosts, Hell's King and King of the Dead: What If?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Clockwork had allowed Rin to change the past?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll have to read Demons and Ghosts: Hell's King and King of the Dead on my Wattpad to understand this oneshot.

Rin appeared in a flash of light, looking at his father and himself on the other side of the roof.

"I can fix this..." He murmured, flipping up his hood, letting his tail hang free.

Rin raced toward the two with inhuman speed.

He wasn't subtle, he didn't try to be. His only priority was to save his dad.

Shiro and Younger Rin turned to look at him, eyes wide.

Neither was able to react as Rin grabbed Younger Rin's arm and leapt into the air, through the roof, yelling, "Sorry! You can have him back later!"

Younger Rin struggled, but with Rin's full demonic power unleashed and not sealed, even his human form was stronger than Younger Rin.

Rin didn't waste time in surrounding him and his younger self with blue flames, teleporting them a few miles away from the monastery, because Rin knew that Shiro would come after him.

They appeared in a forest, and Rin let go of Younger Rin.

Younger Rin stumbled back, wide eyed with fear.

"Who are you? You're a demon, aren't you? You want to take me to Satan!" Younger Rin scowled, but the fear in his eyes was unmistakable. "But the old man said blue flames are the sign of Satan! He told me I was the only one who possessed them besides Satan!"

Rin himself remembered the same fear his younger self was experiencing.

"I'm a demon, you're right about that, but I do not want to take you to Satan. That's the last thing I will ever do, trust me. Right now, I'm trying to save D-Shiro." Rin sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean? Save the old man?!" Younger Rin asked, eyes narrowed.

Rin sighed, slipping off his hood and staring his younger self in the eyes. He was glad he was in human form.

Younger Rin gasped, stumbling back. "You're...me?"

"With a few deformities," Rin answered, "But, yes. I'm a demon, though. Look, I'm you from the future. In my time, Shiro died because of you...me...us."

"What...do you mean?" Younger Rin swallowed.

"I got angry, I was mad Dad kept the truth from me my whole life, and while it wasn't the right thing to do, he was only trying to protect me. I yelled at him, told him to never call himself my father again. He slapped me, but inside, his heart broke at my words. His will wavered, and that was just enough for Satan to possess him. Shiro took control just in time to stab himself and save me. I unsheathed Kurikara in my panic to save him. While I closed the Gehenna Gate, I lost my dad, and became half demon," Rin explained.

Younger Rin teared up. "No..."

"I came back to fix that, to give you another chance to have a father. I don't know if this will change my own future or if it will only change yours, but either way, it doesn't matter to me. If it only affects you, then I'm glad I managed to save at least one version of myself from a whole load of emotional turmoil and pain." Rin sighed.

"I-" Younger Rin didn't have a chance to speak as his future self was thrown into a tree.

"Rin! Are you okay?! We have to go, now!" Shiro barked, grabbing his son.

"Wait, Dad!" Younger Rin pulled his arm from his father's grip. "Look."

Shiro paused and sent a look to the demon that leant against a tree trunk, upside down. His eyes widened at the familiar face.

Rin smiled at the man. "Hey, Dad...I'm really glad you didn't shoot me in the back of the head." The half demon chuckled, picking himself up and giving his dad a lopsided smile, mixed emotions swirling in his eyes.

"How...I don't..." Shiro swallowed, seemingly not able to understand the situation.

"You know, for all of your training, you don't seem very composed." Rin chuckled, but it was a sad sound.

"Old man, this is my future self. He told me some things that...I'm very glad for," Younger Rin said.

"What kinds of things?" Shiro frowned.

Rin repeated what he'd said to his younger self, and Shiro found himself not breathing.

"You're not human anymore," Shiro said slowly.

"Is that all you got from that, you shitty geezer?" Rin huffed, exasperated. "And like I care! Being human was never my fortè anyway. I never fit in."

Rin eyed the exorcist. "As much as you might disagree, I think it's best if you allow Rin to unsheathe Kurikara."

"What?! Just because you did so doesn't mean I'll let him! You did it because you had to! He doesn't!" Shiro protested.

"Maybe so, but..." Rin trailed off, lifting his shirt and pulling Kurikara from its seal. "If he starts learning now, it'll be much easier in the future."

Younger Rin and Shiro's eyes widened at this, but Shiro gasped. "It's not..."

"On fire?" Rin chuckled. "No, but it can be." At this, Rin allowed his flames to cover the sword before dissipating.

"How...?" Shiro breathed.

"My flames aren't sealed away anymore. My demon form and human form are my own to control by will now. I took back my demon heart. What you said to me was true, the power did overwhelm me, but only because I let it. I accepted what I was, who I was, and what I possessed, thus allowing me to control what was a part of me," Rin explained, "Of course, this did not happen on a whim. As of now, I do not know your future, so events may not play out as they did for me. You were a big catalyst, so as I prevented your death, it probably changed many things. I can already guess a few." Rin smiled bitterly at the memory of his own brother pointing a gun at him, blaming him for Shiro's death. It was still a wound Rin couldn't forget, nor fully heal, as much as he tried.

Rin shook the thoughts from his head. "Anyways, my only choice was to accept everything at one point, because if I hadn't, everyone would have died. It was the only way to beat Satan, so I did what I had to do."

"I defeated Satan?" Younger Rin gaped.

"Maybe." Rin shrugged. "Since I changed the timeline, this may now be more of an alternate universe than my past. So, in technicality, you haven't, but maybe you will, one day. It's funny, though. In the beginning, my main goal was to become Paladin, then defeat Satan."

"You didn't become Paladin?" Younger Rin frowned.

Rin laughed. "Of course not. I wasn't even a month out of Cram School before I kicked the bastard's ass. Besides, even now, becoming Paladin is impossible."

"Why?" Younger Rin asked, fearing that maybe he would never be able to be smart or strong, never be able to make it as an exorcist.

"The Vatican is very picky about that sort of stuff, and personally, I highly doubt having the King of Hell as Paladin would go over well with them." Rin smiled slightly.

"What?! King of Hell?!" Shiro shouted.

"I defeated Satan, but possessing the blue flames and being the son of Satan, I was to take the place of King. It's not all it's cracked up to be, but I manage as well as a sixteen-year-old half demon can. I've become much stronger, and I'm sure you can, too." Rin smiled at his younger self.

"...You've become a lot more mature after my death, haven't you?" Shiro questioned, and Younger Rin couldn't disagree.

Rin smiled sadly. "What choice did I have? The Vatican were against me, besides Shura, I guess, although sometimes I think she likes to see me struggle. All of my friends in True Cross hated Satan with a passion, and even after all of that, I'd seen a lot of bloodshed. You can't honestly think that battling Satan was just a slash or two here and there, then it was over? No, he murdered plenty of exorcists brutally, even tore nearby innocents that didn't even know of demons to shreds right in front of me."

Rin sighed deeply. "It wasn't too long before I discovered I had PTSD, and Yukio flipped. I still suffer from nightmares and flashbacks, sometimes a lot of guilt. We were lucky, I was lucky. Yukio barely made it out alive after that, too."

Younger Rin and Shiro said nothing, but Younger Rin's thoughts were more visible from his expression, fear, sadness, and determination all clear on his face.

"But, it doesn't matter now!" Rin said, a slight hysterical tone to it. "It's all done and gone, so no need to brood over it!"

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Rin." Shiro apologized.

"Forget it." Rin shook his head. "I never blamed you. It's just, I had an opportunity to save you, maybe not for me specifically, but for another version, and I couldn't pass that up."

Rin paused. "Would it be awkward if I hugged you right now?"

Shiro chuckled. "No."

Rin smiled and lurched forward, clinging to the older Paladin. Tears finally made their way down Rin's cheeks. "You may not understand, you haven't lost your son, but I lost you, and I really, really missed you."

Shiro hugged back. "Maybe so, but I can still feel the pain that comes from thinking about losing you or Yukio. I'm sorry."

Younger Rin stood there, not very disturbed by his older self crying and hugging his adoptive father, surprisingly.

The medallion on Rin's neck started to glow and Rin clutched the man tighter.

"What's happening?" Younger Rin asked.

"It's my time to go, I have to go back." Rin sniffled. "Can I just stay like this? I don't want to fade alone."

"Of course, brat." Shiro smiled fondly.

Rin teared up at the nickname, a light sob passing through his lips. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, Rin." Shiro smiled, tears leaking from his eyes, though Shiro didn't exactly know why. Maybe it was just the fact that he had failed to be there for his son, even if it was another version of him, or maybe it was because even though his Rin was still alive, the Rin in his arms was still his son, and Shiro felt like he was losing him.

The medallion illuminated the half demon, and light flashed, blinding the two males for a couple of seconds.

As Shiro was blinded, his arms seemed to lose their grasp on the solid form of Rin's body before he could feel nothing. Their vision returned, and Rin was gone.

 

* * *

 

 

"This won't affect your timeline," Clockwork told the half demon.

"It doesn't matter. I saved him, maybe not for my dad or me, but for the other Rin and the other version of my dad." Rin smiled.

"He is still your father." Clockwork eyed Rin.

"I know." Rin nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know they're probably kind of OOC, but writing their feelings and personalities while trying to portray it into how they would react in a scenario like this is hard. Bye my doggies!


	4. One Piece/Blue Exorcist: The Fourth Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Rin was born in the One Piece universe and was the fourth member of ASL?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something I thought up in the shower. Enjoy!

A teen landed on their ship in the darkness of night. 

Everyone was asleep, but one swordsman sat in the Sunny's crow's nest, asleep, but alert.

His hands itched towards his swords on his hip, his one eye opening a crack.

He leaned forward and looked toward the deck, eye following the silhouette that circled the wooden floor.

He slipped his swords from his sheaths, leaping down and aiming to cut the person's neck.

The figure swung around, dodging backward with a grace and speed that had the green-haired man impressed.

"Who are you?" Zoro growled, his voice slightly slurred from the sword in his mouth.

The bright moon in the sky illuminated both of them as the clouds parted and Zoro was able to see the figure better.

It was a teen, a male one at that. His raven hair looked like Luffy's, but thicker and a bit longer, along with a blue tint that Zoro doubted was from the moonlight. His bangs swung against his forehead from the sea breeze, but somehow left his bright blue eyes visible. He was about 5'8", standing proudly. His ears were pointed and his canines were sharper than a normal human's. He wore a pair of blue jeans, a chain hanging off one side of the leg, a pair of black boots, and a navy tee.

The male raised an eyebrow at the swordsman. "Pirate Hunter Zoro, Swordsman and First Mate of the Strawhat Pirates."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Zoro demanded, swords tight in his hands.

The male sighed, eyes dropping to his feet. "My name is Rin, and I need to talk to your captain, Monkey D. Luffy." 

"What do you want with Luffy?" Zoro asked tensely.

"Zoro? What's all the ruckus?" A female voice asked angrily. "We're trying to sleep!"

Rin turned to look at the female, examining her long, orange hair and melted chocolate eyes. "Hello. You must be Cat Burglar Nami." 

Nami's eyes widened. "Who are you, and what are you doing on our ship?" 

"As I've said before-" Rin was cut off as he jumped backward to avoid getting kicked in the face by a certain blonde chef.

Rin narrowed his eyes and huffed childishly. "I don't understand why you guys keep asking me questions, but won't let me answer them. So rude." 

By now, the whole crew had woken up except Luffy and eyed the stranger. Rin examined them all. "Black Leg Sanji, Sogeking, Cotton Candy Lover Chopper, Devil Child Nico Robin, Cyborg Franky, and Soul King Brook. Pleasure to meet you. Now, I'm looking for Monkey D. Luffy, so if any of you would be kind enough to show me to him, then I would really appreciate it." 

"Like hell we're telling you where that shitty rubber is!" Sanji barked, biting his cigarette in half.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Look, I-"

"Rin?" A quiet whisper sounded behind the whole crew.

They all whipped around to see Luffy, standing there with wide, shocked eyes. Rin smiled at the straw-hatted boy. "Hey, Luffy. Long time, no see, huh?"

"You two know each other?!" Usopp yelled.

"We grew up together," was Rin's reply.

"You're dead," Luffy whispered, his voice contrast to his usual loud cheery tone. "Ace and I...we saw the blood. It was everywhere. You couldn't have..."

Rin chuckled sadly. "Yeah, took me a while to fully heal after that. I survived for reasons that I couldn't be there for you, Lu. I'm sorry I left you and Ace." The teen's eyes watered, tears slipping onto his pale skin. "I wasn't there for you when you needed me most. I couldn't even help save Ace. I'm sorry I abandoned you, but I thought it was for the best. But, you know, I was what, eight? I was naive and young, I couldn't have known what I was doing would end in this. I made bad choices, and I wish I never left you alone. Oh, Luffy, I'm sorry."

Luffy's lip quivered. "What...What happened? You were gone, and the walls were red...Why'd you leave?" 

"Luffy, I'm...I'm not exactly human, and I couldn't drag you into my mess. I couldn't let you guys be killed because I was selfish. I loved you guys, Luffy. You, Ace, and Sabo. What's worse is that after Sabo...after he was gone, I went and left you, too. I loved you, and I was too weak to protect you. I had to leave, had to go and become stronger. I did, but I still lost my family, didn't I? I didn't even know Ace was dead until I came back and saw the news. Do you know how horrified I was, Lu? How devastated, how guilty? I broke down! First it was Sabo, then it was Ace! I failed...but then I remembered I still had my little brother, Luffy. You were alone and suffering just as much as I was. I decided that even if I wasn't able to watch you grow up, wasn't able to be there for you in the beginning, I would be here for you now. Took me a while to actually find you, but I made it." 

Rin bit his lip and tried to force the tears away but failed. "Please, Luffy. You...I can't live not knowing. Do you hate me, Lu? Do you hate me because I didn't try to help save Ace, because I left you and Ace when we were kids, because I wasn't there to help you through everything? Do you hate me because I was a horrible big brother?" 

Luffy was silent before a loud wail of sorrow tore through his lips. "Stupid Rin!" The small teen leapt forward, wrapping his rubbery limbs around the other brother's waist, burying his face into the boy's chest, tears soaking the shirt. "I thought you were dead! I never thought I'd see you again! I don't hate Rin! I could never hate my big brother! You only wanted to protect us, you didn't know! I don't care what you are, I don't care if you're not human! You're my brother, you're Rin! Stupid big brother!" 

Rin's eyes widened slowly before smiling happily with tears shining in his eyes. "We're both big crybabies, huh?"

Luffy said nothing, just continued to bawl into his older brother's shirt.

The whole crew didn't know whether or not they should leave, give the two some time alone, but they didn't have to ask before Luffy unlatched himself from the male, rubbing his watery eyes. Rin turned to them and smiled. "I have to thank you for taking care of my little brother. I know he can be a handful sometimes, but I'm glad you guys were there for him. Thank you for being the family I wasn't able to be." 

The crew merely nodded, but no words were needed to know that they were sincere. Nami decided to speak everyone's thoughts. "I can't believe Luffy has another brother! Although, after Ace, we should have expected him to be keeping other secrets." 

Rin turned to his little brother. "I think this explanation is twelve years too late."

"Huh?" was Luffy's intelligent response.

Rin merely laughed. "As I've said before, I'm not human, but a demon. Half demon, actually. My father is Satan, the King of Demons. It's why most demons are after me. They are ordered by my father to take me to Gehenna, where demons live. I've escaped them so far, and that blood you and Ace found all those years ago was the result of a battle between me and a couple of ghouls. As you can tell, I barely won. The only reason I lived was because of my demonic healing. I've only grown stronger since then. My goal is to defeat my father and gain the freedom I never truly had." 

Luffy laughed. "Cool! You can join my crew!"

The rest of them expected the male to decline his offer like Ace, but they were wrong. "Sure! This is my chance to redeem myself! This time, I'll protect you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dude, I really want this to be a real thing! They have no fanart for this prompt! I'm so sad!
> 
> Okay, explanation time! 
> 
> One, Rin's powers are not sealed because at birth, no one ever tried to seal them. Shiro and Yukio don't exist (or at least Yukio never grew up with Rin), so Rin doesn't have (know he has) a blood brother and Shiro never sealed Rin's flames. The Yukio situation can be interpreted however you want to imagine it.
> 
> Two, Rin met Ace, Sabo, and Luffy shortly after Luffy joined their group when the three found him near their treehouse. 
> 
> Any other questions can be asked in the comments! Thanks! Bye my doggies!


	5. One Piece: Time Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Luffy lost his whole crew before he became Pirate King? What if he got a second chance? What if he could change everything at a cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've become obsessed with One Piece time travel stories, so I made my own. Expect more of this later on, too.

Luffy gripped his head as the screams of his crew echoed in his mind. His face was smeared with blood, his strawhat stained red.

His breathing was ragged, and he knocked the hat off his head as he pulled the dark locks of hair in desperation. "No...no, it's just a dream, a nightmare. Let me wake up, let me wake up! Please!"

A shadow loomed over him and a deep voice boomed above him mercilessly. "This isn't a dream, Strawhat. Say goodnight."

Luffy's shrill scream of sorrow pierced the air as he was decapitated and blood splattered the floor.

* * *

Luffy smiled brightly as his eyes met with Coby's. Coby shook with fear. "Who are you?!"

Luffy almost laughed. He couldn't believe how much of a wimp Coby used to be! Oh well, he'd be stronger in the future! "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become Pirate King! What's your name?"

"C-Coby..." came the hesitant reply.

Luffy simply smiled.

* * *

"What are you doing here? Beat it, kid!" A green-haired man, dirty, beaten, and tied to a post, barked at Luffy.

Luffy smiled at Zoro, but his eyes held a wisdom and pain no child should ever hold. " I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become Pirate King, and I want you to join my crew!"

"What crap are you spewing?" Zoro asked.

"Join my pirate crew!" Luffy repeated.

"No way in hell! I'll never become scum like that!" Zoro spat.

"Come on, not all pirates are bad! Besides, you're already known as a demon around here!" Luffy shrugged.

"I've never done anything in my life I regret!" Zoro glared. "I don't care what anyone thinks of me."

"Then what's the problem?" Luffy asked.

"Shut up!" Zoro growled.

"You have a dream, right? I'll go get your swords and you can get them back if you join my crew!" Luffy laughed.

"What?! How do you- Nevermind! That's blackmail!" Zoro cried in outrage.

Luffy simply laughed and shot himself up on top of the marine base. Zoro gaped. "What in the world is that guy!?"

* * *

When Zoro joined the crew, he didn't expect him to be the only crew member, nor did he think he'd be riding in a dingy.

"Seriously? It's only you and me?" Zoro asked.

"A pirate's gotta start somewhere!" Luffy replied simply.

Zoro grunted and silently admitted the kid was right. In every aspect, the kid was a mystery. He was surprised when the kid seemed to be more happy than scared when Zoro had pointed a sword in his face and threatened to kill him if he got in the way of his dream to become the World's Greatest Swordsman.

His captain sure was a mystery.

* * *

 

The next crew member was Nami. When Luffy saw her, he couldn't help the few tears that gathered in his eyes.

The memory of her death wasn't a nice one. He could still remember her screams and the sounds of ripping flesh and blood splatters. He could still remember the scene as he watched her slowly get torn apart and burnt alive.

Luffy quickly shook the image away as he stared at Nami, while the girl gave him a confused look. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become Pirate King!"

Nami frowned. "You're a pirate? Pity."

Luffy cocked his head. "I'm hungry."

Nami sweat dropped, but smiled mischievously nonetheless. She had a plan. "I'll treat you!"

Luffy smiled widely. "Food!" Unknown to Nami, his mind wasn't anywhere near the subject of food. He just couldn't be happier to see her again, alive and well.

He'd kick Arlong's ass soon enough.

* * *

Nami didn't know what to make of this boy. She learned he was a pirate, but he saved a village, tried to save a poor dog's treasure, and even though she was pissed about it, left half the money for the village so the town's people could rebuild their island.

Monkey D. Luffy, the boy who wanted to become Pirate King, the boy who was determined he could do it. It was his dream, he'd said.

When Nami looked at his smile, the way he laughed and smirked in the face of danger, she couldn't help but see herself, because his eyes didn't match his grin. His eyes were shattered, broken, and held something nobody should ever hold.

It was a mask, that much she knew. She knew a fake smile when she saw one, and he put up a lot of them.

She couldn't help but wonder why the only genuine smile she ever saw was directed towards her and Zoro, especially when she had stuck him in a cage and tricked him.

Nami really didn't understand this boy.

* * *

"Who are you?" Usopp asked shakily.

Luffy smiled at Usopp. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become Pirate King!"

"Pirate! I have a million men on my side! You'll never take this village!" Usopp gloated.

"You mean those three?" Nami pointed at the kids in the bushes. They ran away screaming while Luffy laughed.

"Don't mock me!" Usopp growled, pointing his slingshot at Luffy and his friends.

Luffy grinned dangerously as Usopp threatened to shoot them, pulling his hat over his eyes. "Bet your life on it."

"W-What?" Usopp asked shakily, knees trembling.

"A gun's not made for threats, it's made for action," Luffy said lowly.

Zoro smirked and flicked his sword from its sheath. "We're real pirates."

Usopp was starting to sweat before he dropped to his knees. "A real pirate's word is much more intimidating. I should have known."

Luffy started to laugh. "I stole that line from Shanks. Your dad's name is Yasopp, right?"

"You know my dad?!" Usopp gaped, falling off the cliff side before sitting back up.

"Yeah! He could shoot the wings off of a fly from a long way away!" Luffy grinned.

"How about I treat you to some food, and you can tell me about him?" Usopp smiled.

"I'm starving!" Luffy laughed, but inwardly, he cared more about the fact that weak as he may be, Usopp was standing in front of him, the spark of life in his eyes once again.

* * *

Usopp didn't understand why this pirate would go to such lengths to help a coward like himself defeat the all-powerful Captain Kuro.

Luffy smiled a lot, laughed a lot, and seemed very naive most of the time, but as much as Usopp didn't want to admit it, the straw-hatted boy's eyes held a pain that dug so deep into his soul, Usopp wasn't sure he wanted to know the cause of it.

* * *

Luffy was ecstatic when he saw Sanji. As much as Zoro and him fought, in the end, Sanji had given his life to protect the swordsman.

Luffy refused to cry, but the bags under his eyes and the stress eating away at him for not sleeping was making him way too emotional for comfort.

He couldn't sleep. The nightmares were too much. He hoped his crew wouldn't notice.

Luffy smiled at the blonde chef. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become Pirate King! Join my crew!"

"Sorry, but I don't want to be a pirate. I refuse," was the response the boy got.

"I refuse your refusal!" Luffy pouted.

"What?" Sanji raised an incredulous eyebrow at the eccentric teen.

"I refuse your refusal! I want you to be my chef!" Luffy huffed.

"Listen, I have my reasons for staying here!" Sanji hissed, biting his cigarette in frustration.

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"I don't have to tell you!" Sanji yelled.

"But you told me to listen!" Luffy whined.

Sanji growled and tried to kick him, but Luffy silently laughed with tears. He'd missed Sanji.

* * *

Sanji watched the rubber boy pounce around and taunt Don Krieg. He watched the idiot toy and mess with the man, laughing all the way.

Luffy was powerful for sure, despite his small, lanky frame and innocent demeanor.

The boy, no matter how many times he bled, no matter how many times he almost landed in the ocean, kept getting right back up and fighting strong.

Sanji didn't understand how one person could have so many lives.

Zeff seemed to understand, for he told Sanji the boy had more willpower to live than any other man on the sea.

As Sanji watched, he had to agree with the old geezer. The rubber idiot really had more willpower than any other man Sanji had met.

It made the chef wonder where all the will came from.

* * *

Luffy smiled softly at the little reindeer. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become Pirate King!"

Chopper said nothing and glared at him before transforming into his huge form to try and scare Luffy.

"You're a monster," Luffy said.

"So what?!" Chopper cried out in defense.

"But I'm a monster, too! See?" Luffy grinned and pulled his cheek to impossible lengths.

Chopper's eyes widened before narrowing. "That's not the same."

Luffy shrugged. "If it isn't, so what? Being a monster is great!"

"No, it's not! What would you know?!" Chopper growled.

"You don't know how to be a monster if you hate it! You must be a lonely monster!" Luffy said.

Chopper grew confused. "What?"

"A lonely monster scares people and uses his strength to hurt others. A monster with friends uses his abilities to protect his friends. I'm a monster, but I wouldn't change it for the world! I can protect my crew better that way!"

Chopper frowned. "But what about what others say about you?"

"That doesn't matter. You go back to your crew, drink and make jokes! They'll tell you that you're their friend, and nobody else's opinion matters but theirs, right? Because who cares about a stranger's opinion when the only opinion that matters is your friends'?"

Chopper's eyes grew glassy. "Luffy..."

"Join my crew! Become my nakama!" Luffy cried.

"Luffy!" Chopper wailed.

* * *

 

Chopper didn't believe he'd ever find people who would accept him. He believed he'd be alone forever, but Luffy proved him wrong.

Luffy was right. He was lonely, but now that he had friends, being a monster didn't seem so bad anymore.

A human and a monster, picking between them didn't seem so hard anymore, not when Chopper knew which option allowed him to better protect his nakama!

* * *

 

Shortly after Chopper joined, the reindeer noticed something worrying. "Hey, guys? Has Luffy been getting enough sleep?"

"What do you mean, Chopper?" Nami asked.

"I mean, he's more sluggish than he should be, he has bags under his eyes, and he looks too sickly." Chopper frowned.

The crew's expressions became concerned. "I didn't notice..." Nami trailed off.

"I don't think any of us did," Zoro said.

"But why would Luffy have a hard time sleeping? I mean, he seems fine to me," Vivi said.

Nami bit her lip. "I don't know if any of you noticed, but Luffy seems a bit more broken than he acts. His eyes are..."

"Yeah, I think we've all seen it." Sanji nodded, the mood not quite right for him to faun over the orange-haired female.

Chopper frowned. "If I'm going to be this crew's doctor, then I'm going to have to be on top of all of your guys' health. I think I need to talk to Luffy."

"It's for the best. If Luffy isn't getting enough sleep, then he won't be at his best when the time comes," Zoro reasoned.

* * *

When dinner time came, Chopper spoke up. "Luffy, you know I'm a doctor, right?"

Luffy looked at him, expression confused, almost bewildered, as if he wasn't expecting Chopper to say something like that. "Of course you are. It's one of the reasons you're on my crew, next to being my nakama."

Chopper tried to smile, but it came out slightly forced because of the worry. "Yeah. Luffy, how much sleep do you get every night?"

The question made Luffy stiffen and dark-circled eyes widen. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The crew frowned at his reaction. Chopper continued. "Luffy, answer me."

Luffy stayed silent before setting his hands in his lap, eyes downcast, nervous. "I don't know...I try not to sleep, but I usually end up falling asleep for about an hour or so every now and again, unfortunately."

"Luffy, what do you mean you 'try not to?' You need sleep! Why don't you want to sleep?" Chopper frowned.

Luffy fidgeted in his seat, something that was very un-Luffy. "I have nightmares. Really bad nightmares. I scream a lot during them, and I didn't want to worry any of you. I'm the Captain, and weakness isn't something I'm allowed to show."

Silence swept across the crew, and Zoro stood.

* * *

The swordsman didn't know when his view on Luffy changed, but it did.

He wanted to be the World's Greatest Swordsman, that was a given, but it never included living up to anyone's expectations but his own (and most likely Mihawk's).

Since he'd joined Luffy, though, it seemed as if now he was determined to live up to Luffy's expectations, become the best not only for himself, but for Luffy as well.

His Captain wasn't weak, and he was allowed to come to them to talk if he needed to. He was supposed to trust them, supposed to be able to talk to them.

Whatever burden Luffy carried should be shared with the rest of the crew. Luffy didn't have to do this alone. It's why he had his crew, had his nakama. Zoro voiced this.

Luffy frowned. "I don't want to keep you guys up at night just because I can't handle some stupid dreams."

"Luffy, if what you're saying is true, you might have PTSD," Chopper informed him.

"PTSD?" Luffy asked.

"It means post-traumatic stress disorder. It can't be cured, but therapy can help. It means you've suffered something so traumatic that it damages your mental health," Chopper explained.

Luffy laughed slightly. "More than once, I suppose."

The crew frowned in worry at this, but Luffy smiled at them again, silencing any words they wanted to say. "I'll sleep more if that's what you're worried about, but if I start screaming, you have to wake me up, okay?"

"That's fine, Luffy. We wouldn't do anything less." Vivi tried to comfort the Strawhat captain.

Luffy smiled tiredly at them. "Thank you."

* * *

That night, Luffy closed his eyes, but a mere few hours later, the whole ship was woken up by screams of sorrow and terror. "STOP! STOP, I'M TELLING YOU TO STOP! LET THEM GO! STOP, PLEASE! IT HURTS, DON'T TOUCH THEM!"

Zoro was the first one out of bed and next to Luffy, Nami and Vivi rushing in from the girl's cabin and into the boy's.

The whole crew stood behind the first mate as he grabbed Luffy by the shoulders and jerked him upright. "Wake up, idiot! Luffy!"

Nami, Chopper, Vivi, and Usopp were shocked at the harsh treatment, but it seemed to do the trick, for Luffy stopped screaming as his breathing evened out and his heartbeat slowed to a normal pace. His eyes opened slightly, still droopy from sleep. "Zoro...?"

"Yeah, it's me," Zoro confirmed.

Luffy trembled slightly. "You didn't see it, did you?"

"See what?" Zoro asked.

This made the black-haired teen smile. "Good."

Zoro frowned at that, but said nothing. Chopper leaned forward. "What happened, Luffy?"

"I was drowning. It sounds dumb, but I was drowning. Not in water, no, it was thicker and really red. It smelled like copper and tasted like metal."

The crew, besides Zoro and Sanji, shivered at his words, but said nothing. Luffy continued to speak. "I watched them all die in front of me, dropping one by one as they burned and bled in front of my very eyes. The blood spilled everywhere, and it began to rise. There was so much that I began to drown in it. I could smell it, feel it, taste it, even hear it as it bubbled and popped while the burning magma boiled it, turning their bodies to ashes. I couldn't feel anything, but watching them all die...it hurt a lot."

"Who were they, Luffy?" Zoro asked softly, but also sharply.

Luffy laughed lightly, borderline on hysteria. "You."

Luffy fell back to sleep, but nobody else could close their eyes after that.

It was okay, though. They'd learn.

* * *

The Strawhats were surprised to learn Luffy had a brother, especially when that brother was Fire-Fist Ace, Second Commander of Whitebeard.

"I have to thank you all for looking after my little brother. I know he can be a handful." Ace smiled at them.

"Not at all," they spoke in sync.

Ace agreed to travel with them for a little bit, and Chopper was overjoyed for reasons that involved Luffy.

Before dinner, Chopper dragged Ace into his doctor's office and shut the door. "Uh, you need something?" Ace asked the small reindeer.

"Yes, actually." Chopper nodded and sat down. "I was wondering if you had any advice for us."

"Advice?" Ace frowned in confusion.

Chopper cocked his head, blinking slowly. "You know, for Luffy's nightmares. Is there any way we can prevent them? Maybe help calm him down quicker? I give him sleeping pills, but they don't help all the time and eventually his body will become immune, and I'll have to give him more and more. It won't be good for his body's immune system if I give him too much."

Ace blinked in shock. "Nightmares? I'm sorry, I don't understand. Luffy has nightmares?"

"You mean you don't know?" Chopper frowned. "He wakes up screaming, usually dreams about everyone around him dying. Drowning in blood, us burning to a crisp in front of him. His nightmares even go as far as having him eat our dead bodies to keep us with him forever."

Ace almost choked. "That's...Jesus, what the hell kind of dreams are those?"

"It's Luffy's subconscious. Whatever he's gone through did something to him, and it's left him with horrible mental scars," Chopper explained sadly.

Ace swallowed. "I'm sorry, I don't think I'll be much help."

Chopper sighed. "That's fine. You didn't know about them, so it's not your fault. Come on, let's get back to the others."

Chopper stood and walked out, but Ace sat there for a while longer.

Ace wanted to throw up, his throat was tightening. What the hell had happened to his little brother?

* * *

That night, screaming was heard across the ship. Ace bolted up, recognizing his little brother's screams immediately.

Unfortunately, there was no room in the men's cabin for Ace, so he slept in the girl's cabin. They didn't mind, but Nami threatened that if he did anything, she would maim him.

A soft, tired, and sad voice reached his ears. "Go back to sleep, Ace."

His eyes shot to Nami in the dark, watching her lie there with sad eyes. He saw Vivi, too, awake and worried.

"Sleep? My brother-" He was cut off.

"It's Sanji's turn tonight. Luffy usually only wakes up once a night, so we switch off from person to person for who gets to calm Luffy down. We have to wait until the screaming stops, then we know it's okay," Vivi murmured.

Ace shook. He couldn't believe this. His baby brother was suffering, and where was he this whole time?!

"He's my brother," was Ace's rebuttal as he bolted out the door and to the men's cabin.

He met eyes with Sanji in the cabin as Luffy's scream echoed in their ears. Sanji stared at him as Ace spoke. "He's my brother."

No other words were needed as Sanji nodded and climbed back into bed.

Ace knelt beside his sibling, shaking the boy. "Lu, wake up! Get up, Lu! Luffy!"

Luffy stopped screaming and his eyes snapped open, orbs holding pain, guilt, sorrow, and more. Ace couldn't breath. "Ace..." Luffy whispered.

"It's okay, Lu. I'm right here, okay? I'm right here..." Ace murmured, holding his brother close to his chest in a tight hug. Ace tried not to cry.

"Ace..." Luffy whimpered.

"Tell me about it," Ace murmured to his younger brother.

"It was about you this time, just you. It wasn't a dream this time, though. It was a memory." Luffy's sleep-deprived mind didn't care what he was saying. "I saved you, but you took the bait. You tried to go after him, but he went after me when I was weak. You jumped in front of me just to take the hit. He burned a hole in your chest, and you died in my arms. All I can remember was the feel of your blood on my hands, under my nails, and the rest is blank. I went crazy. I think I fell to insanity for a while, too. I can't remember much."

Ace sniffed. "That never happened, Lu. I'm right here."

"It did happen." Luffy pulled away from his brother, staring Ace in the eyes. "I remember it like it was yesterday."

Ace's stomach coiled at Luffy's shattered eyes, filled with pain and sorrow made for a dead man. His sweet, innocent, naive, happy, little brother wasn't here anymore. He was gone, erased, and shattered to pieces. "Lu, that never happened. I'm alive."

Luffy shook his head, tears cascading down his cheeks. "Ace, I made a deal, and I have to pay the price. This all has a cost."

"What are you talking about?" Ace's question sounded more like begging.

"I'll save you, Ace, and one day, I'll finish my mission. This came at a cost, and I have to pay the price, okay? I want you all to live, even if it's at my expense. They all completed their dreams, but I was the only one who still had a few more steps to go. I'll save you all this time, I promise." Luffy gave Ace this big, teary-eyed smile, so full of hope.

Luffy's words rung in his head, and even if they didn't make sense, something in him snapped as he cried into his brother's shoulder.

* * *

Ace turned around to go after the Admiral, but Luffy's hand snatched his wrist. "Are you an idiot?! He's baiting you! Move your ass and leave him!"

Ace didn't have much of a choice but to listen as Luffy dragged the elder towards Whitebeard's ship. Luckily, Whitebeard had survived, staying on the ship.

"Set sail!" Luffy's cry echoed out.

They made it to the ship, sailing off as the battle behind them raged. Once they touched the deck, Luffy collapsed in his brother's arms.

"Luffy!" Ace cried. "We need a doctor!"

The Whitebeard crew gathered around him, but Luffy simply smiled and spoke in an almost robotic tone, "Mission accomplished."

Ace had survived.

* * *

 

Shanks's crew was there, Whitebeard's crew was there, Sabo was there, all of his friends were there.

This was the moment everyone had died, everyone had disappeared. Luffy wouldn't let it happen again.

Luffy didn't waste time as he lunged toward Akainu, ending it before it could begin.

His crew and the others had taken down the rest of the marines, and Luffy smiled peacefully. He could already feel himself fading.

"Lu!" Ace and Sabo.

"Anchor!" Shanks.

"Luffy!" His crew.

Luffy looked at all of them, his crew, Shanks, Ace, and Sabo. "This is the end, huh?"

"What's going on?!" Franky cried.

Luffy laughed, turning his head towards Ace. "You remember what I said in Alabasta, don't you?"

Ace's eyes widened. "No..."

"I never told any of you, but you were all supposed to die here today. I was the last to go. Ace and Whitebeard were supposed to die at Marineford after Ace took Akainu's taunting bait, and Whitebeard fought in a rage. I went back in time to save you all, but that came at a price. I can't be here anymore. You've all accomplished your dreams, and I couldn't be happier." Luffy smiled brightly at them, but no one could recuperate his happiness.

"What about your dream?" Sanji barked.

"My dream? It was to become King of the Pirates, but after you all died, that was just a cover up. My dream now has been to save you all, and I did it. My dream is complete," Luffy explained. "Besides, you all believed in me, didn't you?"

"Of course we did!" Shanks yelled.

"Then that's all I need to call myself Pirate King." Luffy laughed. "Shishishishi."

"Luffy..." Sabo choked on his own words.

"You know, last time, I died screaming and crying for you all to come back, for it all to be a dream." Luffy smiled sadly at their horrified faces. "This time, though, I can die with a smile. So, don't be sad. I'm grateful."

Luffy's body had faded during his speech, turning more and more transparent with every minute. "Please, smile for me. I don't want to see you all cry before I'm finally gone."

They all smiled at him, but it was filled with tears and sadness. Luffy figured it would have to do.

He smiled and waved at them. "Live with no regrets!" And he was gone.

They all started to cry, and no one was exempt from the crushing emotion of grief and sadness.

They swore they could all hear his voice echoing around them, speaking the words they'd all heard the first time they'd met him.

_I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man who'll become Pirate King!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Real sad, but oh well! I know I skipped a lot of parts, as well as Luffy finding out (again) Sabo was alive. I also skipped Robin's, Franky's, and Brook's joining, and a lot of other parts, including their separation and Boa Hancock's arc, but that's how the plot was made out. Hope you liked this! Bye my doggies!


	6. Ghosts of the Past: Leave It Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if a student discovered Kaneki's true nature?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after this book/Post-Ghosts of the Past! This means that reading Ghosts of the Past is highly recommended to understand this.

Luke didn't understand why the college let Kaneki back, but he wasn't okay with it.

The criminal known as Centipede was suspicioned to be Kaneki, according to many rumors around campus. It didn't help that once that news report of Ned's framing came out, Kaneki 'mysteriously' disappeared. Not to mention the white hair and matching eyes.

Of course, those Tokyo police had revealed that Kaneki was not a criminal because they had already gotten Centipede. The students were still reluctant to accept Kaneki back, especially when the rumors were still fresh, but they eventually died down, and with Ned hanging around Kaneki, the rumors of Kaneki being Centipede lessened because, really...who would be friends with the person who framed you?

Now, everyone had become neutral around Kaneki, didn't suspect him, nor did they try and harass him about the topic.

Luke, on the other hand, didn't buy any of it. Kaneki was Centipede, and why the Tokyo Police Force let Kaneki get away was a mystery to him, unless the guy framed another person because he had more business in Grandview.

Luke never voiced his suspicions because he knew what kind of backlash he would get, and if Kaneki felt threatened enough, the guy would surely kill him.

He glared across the hall at the three students, Ned, Lily, Kaneki, and the recent student, Hide.

Hide was relatively new, but he'd been around for a few months. It seemed that Kaneki and Hide had known each other previously, so the male was accepted into the group instantly.

They were talking, smiling, just like normal people, but Luke didn't succumb to the act. He wondered if Lily and Ned were as fooled as everyone else or if they were in on Kaneki's 'hobbies'.

For now, he wouldn't suspect the other two, but Kaneki was already doomed, and Hide's previous associations with Kaneki made Luke wary of the blonde. Luke would get proof, one way or another, because from all the movies he watched, the person who found out the truth first always got killed first. He did not want to die!

He watched Lily and Ned wave to Kaneki as they turned and disappeared down the hall, moving on to their next class.

In the midst of the crowded hallway, Kaneki turned and locked eyes with Luke. His expression was blank, calm, and Luke shuddered.

Luke remembered the news report, how Centipede had a mask covering his left eye, or right eye to the white-haired male, but Kaneki had an eyepatch covering his right eye, or left eye to the blank-faced student.

Luke wondered what Kaneki could have to hide under that eyepatch of his, when that news report had shown nothing was wrong with it. Rumors had it that the eyepatch was because the guy had an accident, but Luke knew nothing was wrong with his eye.

They stared at one another and Luke eventually glared at the other male. Kaneki kept his calm facade, merely raising an eyebrow at Luke curiously before shrugging and walking off. Hide stared at him pensively for a few moments before following his friend.

' _I know your dirty little secret, you murderer! You should know never to turn your back on the enemy!_ ' Luke thought spitefully.

* * *

Kaneki didn't understand why Luke hated him so much.

"Luke's glaring at you again," Ned said nervously.

"I can feel it burning into my back." Kaneki smiled slightly. "I know."

"What's his problem anyway?" Lily asked, but didn't dare turn her eyes in Luke's direction.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he still has suspicions? We can't honestly think everyone forgot and dropped the rumors." Kaneki shrugged, but his eyes bugged out a second later, voice dropping to a panicked whisper. "You don't think he knows I'm a ghoul, does he?"

The three frowned worriedly, but Hide was first to speak. "Most likely not. I mean, the only thing the CCG exposed was that Centipede was a murderer. If he does suspect, then that's the only thing you have to worry about. I don't think he knows about your 'eating habits'."

This seemed to comfort Kaneki some. "I guess, but being suspected of murder is still bad."

"It's not like he's wrong." Hide pointed out.

Kaneki, Ned and Lily glared at the blonde. "Not helping."

Hide only pouted.

Kaneki huffed. "I'm better now, though. I haven't killed anyone in months! Suicide victims only."

"Lucky for you, they've been in good supply, but what happens when you run out?" Ned asked.

"Criminals, such as killers, rapists, etc. This is New York! There's plenty of them running around!" Kaneki replied.

"Whatever. It's not like Luke has any proof, and he'll lay off sooner or later. We just have to be patient," Lily said.

"I guess you're right." Kaneki sighed.

* * *

Luke glared daggers at Kaneki's back, video camera in hand. He'd get his proof, right here and right now.

He thought of using his phone, but the data would be too easily erased, and if he used a camcorder, he'd be able to drop the device to distract the male and keep the card with his proof.

"What are you doing?" Luke jumped at the voice. He turned around to see Ned.

"Kaneki's Centipede, I know he is! You have to believe me! He's the guy who framed you!" Luke told him.

"Luke, Centipede was caught and put on death trial. Besides, I wouldn't be friends with my kidnapper." Ned sighed.

"I'm sorry you can't believe me, but I'm not going to sit here and let people get hurt because nobody will do anything! You're all too blind!" Luke growled.

Ned blinked at him before sighing. "Luke, just leave it alone. Please." Ned walked away, and Luke stared after him.

"I can't leave it alone."

* * *

He'd followed (stalked) Kaneki and Hide all the way to a small antique shop. As he watched through the glass, they were speaking with a woman who looked to be the owner. If Luke had to take a guess, he guessed the three knew each other.

Kaneki and Hide waved goodbye to the woman and began walking towards the doors. Luke ducked down and ran around the corner, waiting for the two to wander down the street far enough for him to begin following them again.

* * *

Luke was starting to get very cranky. He'd been following the two college students for hours now! It was already getting dark and he hadn't even caught anything worth getting on tape!

The two had wandered around Grandview, just talking. They stopped to eat once, and Luke noticed Kaneki hadn't eaten anything. It was peculiar, especially since Kaneki had walked around for quite a while and hadn't eaten since he left the dorms, but Luke didn't think too much on it.

He was about to start heading back towards campus, losing hope on catching anything, before he realized he'd wandered into an abandoned part of the town, Kaneki and Hide far ahead of him.

He stopped and stared suspiciously. What were those two doing walking around here? This was the place most of the animal attacks had taken place! Nobody wandered around here much anymore, especially at dark.

He whipped around to hide behind a building, shooting his head around the corner to watch the males.

"Why are we here again?" Hide asked.

Kaneki raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "Ghouls, remember? Amon, Akira, and Arima can only do so much to try and keep them in Tokyo. New York is a big place, plenty of humans, so luckily, most of them come here first and I take care of them. It's-"

Hide cut the male off. "Yeah, yeah, your territory, I get it!"

Kaneki pursed his lips and gave his friend an unamused look. "Anyway! I've been getting scents, so I decided to check it out tonight. It's a weekend, thankfully."

Luke frowned. Ghouls? Scent? Territory? Humans? What were they talking about? The boy fumbled with his camcorder and clicked record, pointing the night vision at Kaneki and Hide.

"Okay, so why'd you bring me?" Hide asked.

"Bait." Kaneki shrugged.

"What?! I recall Ned offering to be bait last time, and you refused! Why are you okay with me being bait?!" Hide whined.

"Hide, you were with the CCG. You're perfectly capable of defending yourself if need be. Second, I'm not going to let anything hurt you." Kaneki tried to soothe his friend's worry.

Hide rolled his eyes. "Just because you're the big, bad, SSS-rated Centipede, doesn't mean you're invincible."

Luke gulped, eyes wide. So, he was right! Kaneki was Centipede, and he had it all on tape! But...what were ghouls? There was obviously more to this than what he'd previously assumed.

Kaneki sighed. "Fine, you don't-"

"Hold on a minute, I never said I wouldn't do it. I was just asking." Hide pointed accusingly at the white-haired male.

Kaneki blinked at the blonde before sighing loudly. "I will never understand you. Get into position, you know what to do."

"Roger that!" Hide chirped, skipping toward the darker part of the shadow-covered alleyways. Kaneki merely walked away, disappearing into the darkness.

Luke wondered how someone could be so calm when they were bait for...ghouls, whatever they were.

He stood there, recording for a few minutes before wondering how long this would take. He didn't need to think too long before a deep chuckle sounded from where Hide was standing.

"And what are you doing here, human?" The voice asked, tone dripping in false concern.

Hide turned around. "Just waiting for my signal!"

The man stepped into the light, and Luke tried not to shriek. He had two wings, grey and almost molting, sharp at the edges. His eyes were completely black with a red iris and pupil.

' _Ghoul_ ,' Luke silently realized with horror.

"Signal?" The ghoul laughed mockingly. "Well, I have some good news for you. You won't be waiting much longer."

The ghoul lunged, but Hide just stared at him and stayed in his position. "You're not very bright, are you?"

The ghoul wasn't able to answer as a black and white blur tackled him out of the air, slamming him into a wall.

Luke heard grunts as the dust cleared and two figures came into view. The ghoul and Centipede.

' _Kaneki_ ,' Luke thought numbly. The male had his mask on, but Luke knew that white hair from anywhere.

Luke's thoughts whirred to his camera, turning to get a good view of the two battling people.

He looked to see Hide, standing there almost bored as Kaneki chucked the large ghoul into the concrete below them, making a large crater and sending dust flying.

Kaneki landed above the ghoul and Luke watched as the masked murderer turned to look at Hide. "You okay?"

"Perfectly fine. Took you long enough, though," Hide complained.

Luke couldn't see Kaneki's face, but he was sure the man had rolled his eyes.

Luke's mind skipped through the information he'd learned tonight before doing a double take. Kaneki had thrown a man twice his size, something inhuman and something that probably had super strength, into a wall and then into the pavement. That wasn't possible, not for a human!

His thoughts were halted as four, red, tentacle-like appendages grew from Kaneki's back and his visible eye made itself known.

His camera zoomed in with its night vision, and Luke couldn't stop himself from dropping the camera loudly with a clatter.

Kaneki's eye was pitch black, red iris and pupil glowing like the ghoul's below him.

' _Kaneki's a ghoul,_ ' Luke thought, terrified.

The clatter made Luke flinch sharply, and he knew it was too much to wish for that neither ghoul or human heard it.

Hide and Kaneki's attention whipped to Luke, even with him hiding around the corner.

Luke closed his eyes and tried not to breath, but when a tight, warm grip was placed around his waist, he snapped his eyes open and looked down to see one of the appendages Kaneki had sprouted wrapped around his frame. Luke couldn't stop the terrified scream that ripped from his throat if he wanted to.

Luke was pulled around the corner and toward the single human and two ghouls.

He came face to face with Kaneki's inhuman eye, staring at him with slight shock, confusion, and fear.

"Luke?" Hide's voice rung behind him. Luke made an effort to turn towards it, watching Hide's face twist with confused emotions. "Well, this is a surprise. Now, we have to deal with Luke and another ghoul. This is turning out to be a wonderful day, isn't it, Neki?"

"This isn't time for jokes, Hide," Kaneki's voice spoke.

"It's always time for jokes! It's how I deal with stressful situations!" Hide pouted.

Kaneki's aggravated grumble made Luke stiffen. Was he going to kill him for being a witness? Luke cursed himself for being so clumsy.

Suddenly, Luke was set down beside Hide, the weird appendage undoing itself from his waist and curling back towards Kaneki. "Hide, watch him. I'm going to take care of this ghoul. I'll be back."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Hide cheered, cheekily saluting his masked friend.

Luke was pulled from his inner turmoil as Kaneki quickly picked up the pinned ghoul and chucked him far away, Kaneki right behind before the two were out of sight.

"Be thankful. Kaneki's not usually merciful to the ghouls that invade his territory and play with their food, so you won't have to see him tear the other guy to bits." Hide laughed behind him.

"F-food?" Luke stuttered, scolding himself for sounding so pathetic.

"Oh, yeah, most people don't know what ghouls are. Ghouls are creatures that look human, but as you can tell, aren't. They have kagune, which were those things on Kaneki's and the other guy's back. It's used to fight and defend. They also have kakugan, which are what their eyes are called when they go red and black. Ghouls can only eat human flesh. Regular food tastes gross and makes them sick," Hide explained casually.

"What?! Those two eat live people?!" Luke panicked.

"Well, the other guy does, but Kaneki prefers suicide victims, or criminals if the supply is low." Hide shrugged.

"Were those Tokyo Police actually officers?" Luke asked quietly.

"Nah. They're the CCG. They kill ghouls, and recently, Kaneki and I have been able to compromise with three of them. Not all ghouls are bad, take Kaneki for example. Despite his period of insanity and the time he went on a killing spree, he's innocent."

"K-killing spree?! In-insanity!?" Luke sputtered.

"Woah, calm down! He only went on a killing spree because he was lost to insanity! He's a kakuja, and being incomplete makes one mentally unstable. He's complete now, so you don't have to worry." Hide waved his hands as he explained.

"Kakuja?" Luke prided himself on the fact that he hadn't stuttered.

"A ghoul who eats other ghouls. The ghoul version of cannibalism, I guess, since ghouls eating humans isn't really cannibalism. Kakujas get an extra set of kagune, and Kaneki's kakuja look like centipedes, so the CCG nicknamed him Centipede. Believe it or not, before he was a kakuja, his nickname was Eyepatch." Hide laughed.

A sudden thump of feet made Luke jump. He turned around to see Kaneki covered in splatters of blood, kakugan still active, but kagune gone.

Hide raised an eyebrow at the kakuja. "You get him?"

"What does it look like? Done and over with," Kaneki replied, "What's up with him?" Kaneki jerked his head in Luke's direction.

"Explained things to him, for the most part at least. Not sure how he's taking it." Hide shrugged.

"I knew you were Centipede!" Luke blurted, mentally yelling at himself for being stupid. Seriously, that's the first thing out of his mouth?

Kaneki raised his eyebrows, surprised. "If that's all you have to say, then I think you're taking this pretty well."

Luke flushed, but didn't dare say anything. Kaneki continued to speak. "And I take it this is yours?" The ghoul held up a camcorder.

Luke's eyes widened, but before he could speak, the equipment was crushed easily in Kaneki's palms. "Sorry, but I can't have you exposing me."

Luke wasn't sure what to say, but his mouth spewed his thoughts before he could stop himself. "What makes you think I can't just tell anyone? That the animal attacks were actually creatures that eat people and you're one of them?"

"Who would believe you? Face it, if someone told you that, you would call them crazy in a heartbeat." Kaneki eyed the male.

Luke paled and didn't answer, but knew that the ghoul was right. He couldn't tell anyone, and he would continue to know about Kaneki being a man-eating creature! But...

"What about the CCG?" Luke glared. Both males froze for a second before Hide laughed. "You realize we have three CCG doves on our side, and one of them is the CCG's Reaper, the number one ghoul exterminator and leader. Telling the CCG won't do anything with Arima on our side."

Luke became uncomfortable. He couldn't do anything, he had to let it go, let Kaneki continue to eat people, even if they were already dead or criminals. It still made him sick.

And to know that other ghouls were running around, if Luke were ever in the wrong place at the wrong time, he could become some beast's meal!

"Why couldn't you leave it alone, Luke?" Kaneki asked.

Leave it alone.  
_Leave it alone._  
_**Leave it alone.**_  
_**Leave it alone.**_  
_**LEAVE IT ALONE!**_

Luke wished he'd just left it alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This oneshot was requested personally by my sister, CreepyStalker324 and/or MyDisplayOfLite (Wattpad). You might not completely understand this oneshot if you haven't watched Tokyo Ghoul or read my book this oneshot originated from because there are some references to it. Bye my doggies!


	7. One Piece: Different Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Luffy was sent to another universe where things went differently?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wondered how canon Luffy would react to the ASL raised by Whitebeard Pirates AU universe. This also takes place before Luffy discovers Sabo's alive, so before Dressrosa.

Luffy didn't know what had happened. One moment, he was with his crew on another mysterious island, exploring and having another adventure.

Now, he's on a ship that Luffy _recognizes, because it's the Moby Dick, the ship Ace used to sail on with his crew, Pineapple Head, Giant Banana Mustache Man, but thinkingofAcehurtand-_

"Kid, what are you doing here, yoi? Who are you, yoi?" Luffy looked up to see Marco.

"Pineapple Head?" His voice was breathy, almost shocked. "Why am I here?"

"Wha-? The only person who calls me that is-" Marco wasn't able to finish as his mind processed the teen's face. "LUFFY?!"

"Oi, what's going on?" A voice asked and two familiar faces came into view.

Luffy couldn't move. His throat tightened, his body heated up, and tears sprung to his eyes. "Ace...Sabo...That's not..."

"Luffy?" Sabo almost choked. "Why do you look so...old?!"

"What?" Luffy asked, but a voice echoed behind him.

"What's going on?" A cheerful voice asked happily.

Luffy turned around to come face to face with... thirteen-year-old Luffy?!

The two Luffy's stared at one another before gaping. "Waaaaahhhh?!?!"

"What's going on?" Ace screeched.

* * *

Luffy stared up at Whitebeard. He was seeing a dead man, Ace and Sabo being the first.

"Giant Ossan..." Luffy murmured.

"Gurararara! You cheeky brat!" Whitebeard laughed. "So, I hear you're Monkey D. Luffy?"

"Of course I am!" Luffy shouted before pausing. "Although I'm not sure why a thirteen-year-old me is running around on your ship...with Ace and Sabo of all things! Is Thatch here, too?"

"Right behind you." Luffy turned to see Thatch, alive and well.

"This can not be happening..." Luffy muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"Do you mind explaining what exactly is going on?" Marco frowned.

Luffy sighed. "I think I may have gotten sent to a different world."

"Huh?" Little Luffy wondered.

"A different world, universe, whatever. This is probably, like, a different reality, like...another way my life could have turned out..." Luffy's voice became uncharacteristically quiet near the end.

"So, what's your world like? And why are you so shocked to see Ace, Sabo, and I?" Thatch asked.

Luffy frowned and fiddled with his hands. "I...in my world...things went a lot differently. Sabo...he died during the Grey Terminal incident. He set out to sea and Celestial Dragons shot his boat down. What happened here?"

Sabo swallowed dryly. "I...survived. Ace and our Luffy dragged me back to Dadan's hut and got me treated. I still have a burn scar, though. We set out to sea after that. Marco found us and we've been here ever since." Sabo pointed to his eye.

Luffy frowned and rubbed his watery eyes. "Ace swore he wouldn't die. Ace left when he was seventeen and joined Gia-Whitebeard later. I stayed in Foosha until I was seventeen, then set out. Right now, I'm in the second half of the Grand Line with my crew. We're pretty infamous pirates. Shortly after we arrived in the Grand Line, Ace told me he was searching for a man named Marshall D. Teach, AKA Blackbeard. He killed Thatch and betrayed you guys for a Devil Fruit, the Yami Yami no mi. Afterwards, my crew and I were separated, and I found out Ace was sent to get executed at Marineford. I stormed the place to save him, but in the end, he sacrificed himself to Akainu to save my life. He...broke his promise and died in my arms. Whitebeard died fighting and Blackbeard somehow got his Devil Fruit as well and didn't explode. This scar on my chest...it's from Marineford. I bare it to the world to show everyone that I've been through hell, and I've lost my family more than once, but I'm going to keep pushing forward because I haven't lost everyone and the world isn't going to take me down."

Silence spread through them. Little Luffy sniffed. "Ace, Sabo, Thatch, and Oyaji...died?"

"For me, yeah." Luffy turned his head to look at his brothers. "I feel like I'm looking at ghosts. It hurts...my throat is tightening too much, my heart is squeezing so badly I'm afraid it might burst, and I wish you were _my_ Ace and Sabo, but you aren't. I'm sorry."

Sabo and Ace couldn't form words. It may not have been their Luffy, but the way Luffy addressed Whitebeard and Marco, it proved that it was still Luffy, and they felt like they'd failed their little brother, even if it was alternate versions of themselves.

"Luffy-" Ace and Sabo were cut off.

"I wanna go home," Luffy whimpered, tears burning behind his closed eyelids. He opened them and stared at the pirates with anguish, guilt, pain, and sadness. "I don't want to do this anymore. I can't look at Ace or Sabo without feeling hatred and envy and guilt because this universe has my brothers, this universe's me has his whole family, and them being alive here makes me feel like your Luffy came through for you, and I failed to do the same for my brothers. My chest hurts, I can hardly speak, I just want to fall down and cry, bawl, because I can't take this. I want to go home, back to my crew, back where I don't feel like I'm dying inside."

"Because while my brothers are alive and well and I'm so glad I got to see them again, they're not _mine_ and _mine_ are gone and never coming back and standing here proves that." Luffy couldn't stop the waterfalls of tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Everything turned out differently in my world, everything happened differently, and I want to go back home, where I still have my nakama, where everything is different, but it's home. This place holds my home, but it isn't home because I know home, and some of my home has died, but my nakama are my home, too, and I want to go back to them."

Luffy stared at them. "It's different, but it's _my_ home. Let me go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so Luffy is kind of OOC, but whatever! 
> 
> This alternate universe is based off of the clichè stories of ASL being raised by the Whitebeard pirates. Most people would think Luffy would be happy to see his brothers and wouldn't want to leave right away, but I've put my own realistic twist on things, something less expected. Bye my doggies!


	8. One Piece: Starving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Luffy ate so much because he needed to? What if he would slowly collapse on himself and wither away if he didn't?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, a lot of One Piece going on here. I really like making Luffy suffer. It's an issue.

Nami simmered quietly in her seat during dinner, watching as Luffy stole food from each of the crew mates' plates one by one, too quick for any of them to stop him.

Once his hand reached for Nami's own plate, the female snapped. "That is it!"

The whole crew jumped in surprise, looking at her curiously. Luffy had withdrawn his hand in surprise and maybe a bit of fear from Nami's tone.

"Are you alright, Navigator-san?" Robin asked politely.

Nami glared, her piercing eyes staring daggers at the Captain. "No, I'm not! You," she pointed at Luffy. "I am sick and tired of you stealing our food just because your own plate isn't enough! I'm sick and tired of having to pay so much for your food bills because you suck so much food into that bottomless pit of yours! From now on, you will eat from your own plate and you will have normal serving sizes like the rest of us! Are we clear?"

Luffy's eyes were wide with horror. "But, Nami-!"

"Are. We. Clear?" Her voice went down an octave, daring anyone to question her.

Luffy looked down, his Strawhat shadowing his eyes. "Yeah."

"Good." Nami nodded decisively and the rest went back to their meals, but it was much quieter than before.

* * *

Days passed and Luffy's new diet remained as Nami had decided, but the crew noticed Luffy seemed to be more tired, less talkative, and wasn't as joyful.

The crew began worrying it was his new diet, but Nami, despite the voice nagging in the back of her head, decided that nothing was wrong and he was just sulking because he couldn't have as much food as he wanted anymore.

* * *

Luffy, for the first time since he'd started sailing, slept in the Captain's Quarters.

Luffy didn't usually, because he felt like he wasn't anymore above his crew and that they were equal. Besides, the young Captain liked the company of his nakama.

For the past week, though, he'd started and the crew was beginning to worry, even Nami.

* * *

Luffy clambered quickly out of bed and threw up in the garbage can next to his bed. All of the food he had been able to consume, though it was small, was deposited into the trash. Small red blotches went with it.

Luffy couldn't keep himself on his feet anymore and collapsed to the floor onto his back, breathing ragged, uneven, and hard. He coughed, blood spewing out. He could feel his innards collapsing on themselves.

His metabolism was way too fast for such small amounts of food. He was made of rubber, he literally threw his body around while fighting. Everything he did contained stretching, and he stretched subconsciously all the time. It wasn't that he made his body rubber by will, he was _literally_ rubber. He burned up energy ten times faster than any normal human, he needed ten times more food than the average person.

His crew didn't know that, he couldn't blame Nami for being annoyed by his eating habits. It did take a lot of money to feed him. Sanji didn't make enough for him, so he had to resort to stealing his nakama's food.

He was starving, but he refused to tell his crew. He couldn't, it would cause them to feel guilty, and Luffy supposed it was unfair to them how he took their food.

Luffy was dying, but he refused to tell his crew.

Luffy's stomach rumbled loudly as the teen tried to quiet it, and more blood poured from his lips. He felt weak, he could count his ribs, his insides were mush.

He couldn't tell his crew.

* * *

 __Breakfast came around and the crew eagerly came to the kitchen at Sanji's call, but when Luffy wasn't there, a silent worry passed over the crew.

"Where's Luffy-bro?" Franky asked quietly.

Chopper made a whimper noise. "I have a bad feeling..."

Nami gave a nervous laugh. "He probably slept in. Chopper, can you go wake him up?"

"Y-yeah," Chopper replied, walking quickly out of the kitchen.

Before anyone could sit down, a sudden shriek of horror sounded from the Captain's Quarters.

The crew rushed towards the noise, scrambling into the room.

Horror swept over all of them. Red covered the floor in splatters and a garbage can sat next to the bed, filled with throw up mixed with blood.

Luffy lay unmoving on the cool, wood floor. He was pale, skinny, and his eyes were closed, sunken in. Blood was painted around his lips, some covering his fingertips.

Chopper immediately went into Doctor mode, desperately trying to push away the panic. "Zoro, pick him up and get him to the infirmary! Sanji, get some water!"

Both rivals did as they were told, and the rest of the crew followed Chopper and Zoro to the infirmary.

Zoro laid the boy in the bed, and Chopper took his temperature. "He's six degrees above the average temperature! Nami, go get some ice packs! Sanji, hand me the water!"

Once Chopper had the water in hand, he gently poured it down Luffy's throat. He grabbed a cold rag and wiped the blood from Luffy's mouth and hands.

When Nami came back, Chopper wrapped the ice packs in thin rags, lying them on Luffy's forehead, arms and legs.

"What's going on? What's wrong with him?" Usopp asked quietly.

Chopper frowned, hooves shaking. "I figured Luffy would tell us if my theory was true, but I guess I was wrong."

"What the hell are you talking about? Spit it out!" Sanji barely managed to keep from biting his cigarette in half. The tone was supposed to sound demanding, but it came out as some type of plea, and Chopper couldn't find it in himself to be scared, nor could Zoro feel any need to tease the cook about it because the swordsman felt the same. They all did.

Chopper sniffed shakily. "Luffy's body is made of rubber because of a Paramecia type Devil Fruit. This means that Luffy's body is literally made of rubber, bones and flesh. During fights, Luffy would literally throw his body around during fights, adding on to the fact that everything Luffy does includes stretching, such as eating, playing, fishing, climbing, fighting, etc. Luffy can't turn off his ability, meaning he does this all subconsciously. His metabolism would be ten times faster than the average human, thus he would need lots more food than the average human. Giving Luffy normal, human amounts of food...we've been starving him. He's been starving for weeks, and with his inhumanly quick metabolism, it may as well be the equivalent of starving the average person for months on end."

Silence ensued at this. Nobody could stop the crushing amounts of guilt and horror dropped on them, especially not Nami and Sanji.

Nami choked on her words. "This is all my fault..."

Sanji shut his eyes tightly, fists clenching themselves so hard, they turned white. "Are you telling me my captain has been starving right across the deck from me and I. Haven't. Noticed?!"

Chopper closed his eyes shamefully and nodded. "Yes. It's my fault for the most part. I should have said something, anything, or else this wouldn't have happened."

"What are you saying?!" Nami screeched, "I'm the one who practically told him to starve! I'm the one to told him he couldn't eat anymore than we did! It's my fault!"

"I'm the cook! I'm the one responsible for this crew's food and their nutrients, and I denied Luffy his! I promised myself I'd never let anyone starve if I could help it, and I broke that promise, to my own damn captain of all people!" Sanji barked angrily, though the anger was mostly directed towards himself.

"STOP IT!" The command washed over them all, the familiar voice made their heads swivel towards the infirmary bed.

"Luffy!" They all cried.

Luffy's normally bright, chocolate eyes were now a muddy color, sunken in, purple almost, and he was so thin, it hurt. The crew couldn't stop the guilt consuming them.

Luffy coughed into his hand and Chopper cried out in panic as blood covered it. "I didn't...want you all to worry. I...knew if I had...told you, you would have...felt responsible...I didn't want you to...blame yourselves." Luffy's voice was raspy. "I didn't...try and object after...Nami made it clear she was...done. I figured...that it was unfair for me...to take all of your food...because Sanji never made enough...it was unfair...to take all of our money...because I needed more than you guys did. I...thought I could...handle it."

"Dammit, Luffy!" Nami barked, "Your health is more important than money, no matter what I usually say! You should have told me what would happen the instant I insisted you have smaller meals!"

"I tried...you wouldn't listen," Luffy said innocently, as if he didn't know that the statement hurt Nami more than being stabbed.

"You should have told us, Luffy!" Sanji rarely ever called Luffy by his name. It was usually names like shitty rubber, rubber brain, idiot, or moron. "If I wasn't making enough, you could have told me!"

Luffy stared at Sanji innocently, confused, with his head cocked slightly. "But...every time I tell you I'm hungry...you tell me I have to wait until the next meal...or snack time. I...didn't see the point...in asking for a bigger dinner, lunch, or breakfast. I...was afraid I'd get...yelled at."

A lump built in Sanji's throat, his mouth went dry, and the cook tried not to let the emotions tumbling inside escape him. "I'm so sorry, Luffy. If I had known...Luffy, you were suffering, starving! You should never be afraid to tell me you're hungry, and I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

Luffy shook his head. "That's the way...Sanji is. I wouldn't...have him any other way. I...promise I'll tell you...next time."

"Luffy, I know you're starving, but you shouldn't be coughing up blood." Chopper frowned.

Luffy looked at Chopper. "I'm not just starving, my body...is collapsing on itself. It won't be long...until my heart collapses, then I'll die."

"Are you telling us that if we hadn't found you, you'd be dead!?" Brook cried.

"In a few days, yes." Luffy nodded as if it was perfectly okay.

"Luffy, that's not okay. You should have told us! If we didn't listen the first time, you should have made us listen!" Chopper cried, "We should have listened to you the first time! We're all to blame here! We should have noticed something was wrong, and I'm your doctor! I should have said something!"

"I'm okay. It's...not like I'm going to...die or anything. You guys know now...so I'll be okay." Luffy smiled sleepily.

"I'll whip up a big Sea King for you, Captain. Does that sound good?" Sanji asked.

Luffy laughed. "Shishishi. Yeah."

* * *

From then on, Sanji made sure to cook enough food for Luffy and nobody complained about the food bills or his diet.

And if Luffy still stole food from their plates even though he didn't need to, well, nobody complained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been reading way too many oneshots like this, so I had to make one myself! Any requests are welcome! Bye my doggies!


	9. One Piece: Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Luffy wasn't as happy as his crew and the world believes him to be? What if it's just a mask?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read a tumblr post today on ASL. The one for Luffy made a lot of sense because after seeing Luffy's past, I always wondered if Luffy's happiness was just a facade. We've all seen him get serious, so is that the real him shining through? I'm not sure, but that's my theory. So here's where my next prompt comes in. 
> 
> A suffering Luffy gives me life, help me!

Luffy pouted at his cook. "Food, Sanji! I'm starving!"

"You're not starving, you shitty captain!" Sanji snapped, "We had lunch an hour ago!"

"But I'm still hungry!" Luffy whined.

"You'll have to wait! We can't waste all the food on your bottomless pit!" Sanji growled.

"But-!" Luffy was cut off as Sanji's face turned an odd shade of purple.

"Leave me alone! Can't you ever be patient, you freak?!"

Silence followed after that. Lufy choked slightly, laughing nervously. "Huh...what? F-f-fr-freak?"

The crew turned their heads towards Luffy, watching the captain break down bit by bit.

"Oi, Luffy, you okay?" Zoro asked, slightly concerned.

Luffy laughed again, but it wasn't a happy noise. He rubbed his eyes, desperately trying to stop any water that threatened to fall. "O-okay, if-if that's wh-what you w-want..."

The straw-hatted captain scurried away from the prying eyes of his nakama.

"What the hell?" Nami murmured.

"What's wrong with Luffy? Was he...crying?" Usopp swallowed.

"Captain-san...?" Robin called quietly.

Brook shook his head. "Oh my..."

The crew shared nervous looks. Zoro glared at Sanji. "What the hell did you say to him, you bastard?!"

Sanji dropped his cigarette in shock. "I-I don't know. I've never seen..."

"Luffy..." Chopper sniffled. "Come on! We're his crew! If he's suffering, we have to talk to him!"

Franky nodded. "Chopper-bro's right! Luffy-bro needs us!"

* * *

When the crew made their way to Sunny's head, Luffy sat there, staring out at the sea. "Hey, guys..."

"Luffy, what's wrong?" Chopper asked.

Luffy didn't turn around right away, letting them bathe in the quiet atmosphere, but when he did, the crew felt their hearts lurch at the uncommon tear streaks in his face.

Luffy sniffled as fresh tears started to trail from his eyes. Luffy desperately tried to rub them away with his sleeve. He gave them a smile, but it was shaky at best. His eyes held a pain that the crew realized had always been there, but was now in the open rather than hidden behind a cheerful light. "Nothing's wrong! I just got sad cause I couldn't have food..."

"That's such bullshit!" Zoro barked, and Luffy flinched back, surprising them.

"I-I swear! I'm the same old Lu..." The captain trailed off, his voice hiccuping in his throat. "Lu-Lu-Lu-Luffy-fy..."

Tears clogged the boy's throat as he hiccuped his words with sadness and grief. He didn't try and stop the trails of water that made patterns down his face this time. "I-I'm s-s-sorry!"

The crew couldn't hide their worry, nor their grief or sadness, not even Sanji and Zoro. It was clearly visible on all of their faces.

"Luffy, what's the matter? We're your crew, you can tell us anything!" Nami said.

Luffy shook his head. "I'd hoped it be longer, it'd be a while longer before I told you all the truth...I didn't want you to see how broken I was..."

"Luffy, tell us," Zoro demanded.

Luffy looked at them with glassy, shattered eyes. "Since I set out, since I met Zoro, everything I did was never completely...true."

"Ace used to tell me of the saying, "The saddest people smile the brightest." I never realized how much that applied to me. I tried to forget it, my past, for most of it was just...loneliness, pain." Luffy clenched his teeth as his throat tightened.

"You've never talked about your past." Robin realized.

"I've only heard the time when Shanks gave your your hat. Anything else was just a mystery to me." Zoro frowned.

"I wanted it to stay that way. Shanks was a nice point in my life, one of the few. I was born with unnatural strength. 'A big fish in a small pond,' Jiji had called me. The other kids feared my strength. Once, they let me play because they were scared I'd hurt them if they didn't. They were older than I was, so I thought...I thought I could kick the ball harder. I broke two kids' arms and nose. They yelled at me, called me a monster, a freak..."

The word made the Strawhats gasp as guilt overshadowed Sanji. "Luffy..."

"The adults wouldn't let me near the kids, fearing I would injure them. Kids feared me, parents hated me. I had Makino, but she was always busy. I was lonely for most of my life, with Jiji being gone most of the time. Friends were foreign to me, but something I wanted to experience most." Luffy frowned.

"My fear of loneliness and losing what was most important to me made me depressed, and I realized no kid would want a depressing friend." Luffy laughed loudly, hollowly. "So, I put on a smile for everyone! For Makino, for Jiji, for myself. It stuck to me as a habit and after that, only Ace knew of my actual feelings. He helped me through it, and I felt genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. After Ace went out to sea, loneliness and the fear of Ace being hurt threatened me for the first time in years. When I met you guys, everything was okay again, even though I still carried around a lot of my past with me. With Ace's death and being separated from you all, my past caught up with me and my sanity was in danger. I'm surprised I made it out."

"But...you're always so...happy! So bubbly and playful, and...and..." Franky couldn't find the words.

"An act," Luffy replied blankly. "I am happy, more so than ever, but I've never forgotten what's happened to me, what I went through, and what happened to Ace. I'll never be so completely oblivious and cheerful again, not that I was before. I was happy, but my grief and past that I tried to forget still lingered."

"I thought that maybe if I played the idiot, the naive, the oblivious kid, I'd be able to convince myself that my past wasn't bad and that it never happened. Maybe by acting my part, you'd all be more content and less worried."

The crew couldn't stop their tears now. They hadn't noticed, they'd never noticed, and they wished they had.

Luffy smiled at them, an eye-closed, bright grin, leftover tears glistening at the edges of his shut orbs. It made them choke. "Stop crying. I'm not worth your tears."

"You shitty captain..." Sanji choked. "You've got it all wrong."

The crew stared at their captain with kind eyes.

"You're worth everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, that happened! I'm sorry for all the feels and while this isn't in canon, I feel as if this would be very true, regarding Luffy's past. I feel like every One Piece thing I write has to do with Luffy being depressed or hurt. Why do I always want to torture Luffy?! It's a problem! Bye my doggies!


	10. Blue Exorcist: Gang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Rin had been in a gang since he was eight? What if his brother and friends found out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally out of the One Piece hole!

The whole class jumped as Rin's phone started to ring.

"Rin, please turn your phone off," Yukio sighed.

Rin frowned. He'd kept it on just in case Fox called him. He'd warned him about something going down behind the borders and for Rin to be on guard and alert for any sudden calls.

Rin fished his phone from his pocket and flicked it open. "Sorry, Yukio. Gotta take this!"

Before Yukio could protest, Rin was already out the door.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Shima asked.

"Of course he skips class to take a phone call!" Bon groaned.

"Something isn't right," Yukio said.

"What do you mean?" Shiemi asked worriedly.

"Rin doesn't have anyone but you guys and me on his contacts. And well, Shura, too, but she doesn't really count since she never calls Rin anyway. She prefers to come harass him in person. Besides, there's no way Rin would skip class to answer _Shura_ ," Yukio explained.

"That is odd," Konekomaru agreed.

"If you guys are so worried, go spy on him." Izumo rolled her eyes.

"Well, let's go!" Bon exclaimed. "The idiot's obviously hiding something."

"I was joking!" Izumo growled.

* * *

"I'm not too sure this is a good idea," Shiemi whispered.

"I don't want to be too invasive of Rin's privacy," Yukio agreed.

"Aren't you worried? What if he's involved in something?" Bon asked.

Yukio frowned. "Well..."

It was too late to go back, though, because just around the corner, Rin Okumura flicked his ringing phone open and switched it to speaker. An unfamiliar male voice carried through. " _About time you picked up_!"

"Ah, shut the hell up, Hack! I thought Fox was supposed to ring me!" Rin scowled. "You almost fucked me over! I was in the middle of class, and Yukio would not have let me answer if I hadn't run out. If I get chewed out, it's on you!"

" _Are you actually afraid of your baby brother_?" The voice dubbed as 'Hack' teased.

"Less afraid, more annoyed. I don't want him to go far enough to put demon wards on the dorm, and I can't get through!" Rin suddenly smirked, tone smug. "After all, where would you losers be without me?"

" _Less insane, that's for sure_ ," Hack teased.

"Fuck you," Rin chuckled. "Seriously though, where's Fox?"

Hack laughed nervously. " _That's kind of why Fox isn't the one speaking. He's...preoccupied_."

The whole class was confused and bewildered. Who was Fox? Who was this Hack guy Rin acted like he knew?

They watched as Rin grew rigid. "Hack, what do you mean preoccupied?"

" _He's...uh..._ " Hack trailed off.

"It's started, hasn't it? Hydra's dead, and they've decided we're easy picks?" Rin asked rhetorically.

" _Look_ ," Hack sighed. " _We both know that we're not 'easy picks'. Even with Hydra dead, they can't just kick us down now. Hydra was our leader, not some fucking glue that held us together._ "

"Glad you understand that. So, what the fuck's wrong with Fox?" Rin asked.

" _Nothing's wrong with him. He's just gotten into the middle of some things and doesn't have enough free time to call you, so he thought I was best for the job_ ," Hack explained.

"Is that code for 'Fox's dug himself a hole with the others, and you decided it was time to call me over?'" Rin smirked.

" _Spot on! I knew there was a reason Hydra picked you_!" Hack laughed.

"You lot are insufferable. I'll be there in a bit. Have to ditch my friends and brother. I have to get out the doors before they see me."

" _Roger that! I'll see you_!"

"Bye." Rin ended the call and flicked his phone shut, dragging a hand over his face. "I really hoped they would leave us alone. Just proves shit never goes how you want it to."

* * *

They were all confused.

"Who's Hack? And Fox?" Shima asked.

"I don't know, but it seems like Okumura knows them," Konekomaru said.

They all looked to Yukio, but he raised his hands. "I don't know who Hack or Fox is. Never heard of them in my life."

"That's concerning," Izumo said.

"Well, let's follow him! He's obviously going somewhere! That idiot'll probably get himself killed!" Bon exclaimed.

* * *

"Yuki, where are we?" Shiemi asked meekly.

"This can't be...There's no way..." Yukio breathed in shock.

"What?" Izumo asked impatiently.

"This place...it's what the city calls the Slums. People in Rin and I's area used to call it The Dark Place. People made up rumors about how monsters lived back here. Police reports say that escaped convicts, murderers, rapists, drug dealers, and the like live here. Police built borders to keep them in and to keep people like us out," Yukio explained

"Then why does Okumura come here if he can't get in?" Bon asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he can, with his demon abilities and all. The question is, why would he come here at all?" Yukio asked.

They all watched as Rin looked up at the top of the border. He backed up before taking a running start and leaping high into the air. He grabbed the top and launched himself over, disappearing into the darkness.

Yukio stared, wide eyed. "We have to follow him!"

"Come on, we'll push one another over," Bon suggested.

* * *

It took quite a bit of effort, since they had to stand on top of each other to even get one person over the border. Bon was the first over and they had to pull one another over.

Once they all dropped to the other side, they looked around. Shadows shrouded run-down and abandoned buildings. Rats scurried amongst the ground, and the land was barren. Ominous crow noises sounded overhead, and they could all hear the scuttling of beetles.

Shima shuddered. "I can hear all the bugs. Why did I have to agree to this?"

Yukio frowned. "It's just as I imagined it as a kid. Dark, scary, and ominous."

"Heh, you kids obviously haven't been here before. You like Demon? Gettin' in and out of the Slums somehow?"

The class whipped around to see a large man with missing teeth and a balding head, along with a large burn scar covering his neck. A deep slash was carved over his eye in the most gruesome way.

"W-who are you?" Shiemi murmured quietly.

The man laughed. "So I'm right. You know Demon? That how you're able to go back and forth?"

"Who's Demon?" Bon asked in a spur of confidence.

The man laughed. "Don't anybody know his real name round 'ere." The man's grammar was horrible, probably from lack of education. "We all know him be the one person we should avoid. Lot of us want to take a slash at 'im though."

"Who's Demon?" Bon repeated.

The man scowled. "Jus' told ya! Don't know 'is name! Now, are you gonna give me money or what?"

"Wh-what?" Shiemi gasped.

The man turned his eyes toward her, leering. He smirked. "Or ya could give me the slut, and we all go free."

"No way!" Yukio barked, surprisingly.

The man glared. "Fine." He pulled a pistol from his torn jeans and pointed it at them, clicking it into position. "Then I'll take ya money."

_**Bang!** _

A gun went off, but it wasn't the man's. The man dropped to the ground, a bullet through the back of his head.

Their eyes shot to meet another male's, but this guy was younger, around their age. He had a scarred face and his left hand seemed to be mostly burnt. His hair was a sandy tone and eyes a deep, rich, muddy brown. The gun he held was smoking. He holstered it back in his pocket, looking them over. "You lookin' for Demon?"

"Who in the world is Demon?!" Izumo burst in annoyance.

The guy laughed mockingly. "The name's Steel. And I think you know him as Rin."

"Rin?!" They all shrieked.

"You followed Demon here, and now you'll pay the price. Welcome to the Slums! The home to Bleeding Darkness. Follow me. I'm sure you're looking for answers."

The guy, Steel, walked away without waiting for an answer. The exwires and teacher didn't have much of a choice but to follow.

* * *

Rin raised an eyebrow. "So, cough it up. I don't got all day."

The man, a long time buyer of Rin's people called Usari, smiled mockingly and handed over a wad of cash. Rin grabbed it and immediately handed over the bag he'd been carrying. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Rin turned around to walk away, but a click sounded behind him. "Ain't no way I'm lettin' you get away with my money this time."

Of course, years in the Slums taught Rin to never turn your back on anyone, ally or not. If you did, stay on guard and never assume you're in the clear. Rin whipped around just in time to dodge the bullet that flew past his head, barely missing his left eye.

He charged forward and kicked the gun from the man's hand, grabbing it and aiming at the druggie's forehead, planting a bullet straight between his eyes. Blood splattered itself across Rin's jacket and face, the loud sound echoing across the darkness.

Rin stood still for a few moments before letting the gun drop to his side, sliding it into his pocket after clicking it onto safety. He wiped a gloved hand across his face, but it did nothing but smear the red substance. He settled for wiping his hands on his jeans. "Pity. You were willing to pay big bucks for this shit. Guess I just lost a customer."

Rin kept a blank face as he took the drugs back and walked away.

* * *

"Hey! We've got a few problems," Steel called into the abandoned building as the class followed behind him.

"What kind of problems?" A male voice called back.

"City dwellers," was Steel's immediate reply.

A boy about Rin's age came around the wall, face set in anger. "And you brought them here?! Are you fucking stupid?!"

Steel didn't blink. "Demon's friends. Tall one is his little brother. Remember?"

"Oh. Demon talked about you. Thought they didn't know?" The unidentified male asked.

"They didn't. Followed him here. Probably overheard the call with you," Steel replied. "Is Fox back yet?"

So, this was Hack, the class realized.

"Nah. Demon's not here yet either. Probably went to make a delivery before meeting us here," Hack said.

"Delivery?" Shima asked.

Hack turned his cold, blue gaze to the pinkette. "You'll get an explanation when Fox and Demon get here."

"Why do you keep calling Okumura 'Demon'?" Konekomaru asked timidly.

"It's a gang name. Demon's his. Once you've got it, it's stuck. Before he joined up with us, he was known as a monster. Hydra heard rumors of this demon child, so young yet able to take down some of the strongest guys around here. Old man went looking for him, Rin threw him down an alley, and Hydra was impressed. The rest is history," Hack explained. "We've all got jobs. I'm a hacker, hence my gang name. Steel here's our male prostitute."

"Prostitute?!" They gasped.

Steel rolled his eyes. "You do what you got to do. Girls around here fuck like there's no tomorrow, no matter what the guy looks like. As long as they have a dick, talent, and a lot of energy, they'll pay. We all earn money different ways."

"You should see Akiri. She's the female prostitute. She sure knows how to make some cash," a painfully familiar voice cut in. "She'll probably be back in a half hour with loads of it."

"Back already, Demon? What's with the bag?" Steel asked.

The class stared in horror at Rin, who was covered in blood. They watched as he pulled off his hoodie and tossed it onto a chair, plopping down. "Yeah. Usari decided he didn't want to pay for the drugs anymore. Of course, I already had the money, so he took a shot at my face." Rin pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it on the table. "Killed the bastard with his own gun, and was too close to the splash zone, explaining my appearance. Basically, the bad news is that I lost a customer. Good news is," Rin paused to take out at least five more thick rolls of money. "He had a good amount of dough on him."

Hack walked over and picked a wad up, examining it with an impressed glint in his eye and lips pursed. "Impressive! Nice grab!"

Rin smirked and slowly pried the cash from Hack's fingers, waving it mockingly in his pale face as he leaned over the table. "And it's all mine."

Hack rolled his eyes and shoved Rin back into his chair. "Yeah, yeah."

The class suddenly realized Steel seemed to have disappeared, but suddenly the male came back around the corner, holding a towel. He tossed it to Rin. "Wipe the shit of your face. We don't need Akiri making a fuss again about the mess you seem to always make."

Rin rolled his eyes, taking the towel and wiping his face. "She doesn't know what a mess is. It's not like I enjoy getting splattered with bodily fluids. It just happens!"

Steel smirked. "That's your excuse every time."

Rin said nothing, only replying with a smirk of his own. "Before I give an explanation to my friends and brother, can you take the drugs back? I'll use them later for somebody else if I hear any word of somebody in need of  crystal meth or heroine. I've got plenty in the back just waiting to be used."

Steel nodded, swiping the bag off the table. "Better get that cash off the table. Hack and I may be nice enough to let you go for a few minutes, but if Fox sees that, he'll swipe it out from under you in mere seconds."

"I'd like to see him try," Rin scoffed, but put the cash away.

Steel disappeared around the corner, and Rin turned to his brother and friends, a sad smile playing on his lips. "Honestly, this wasn't how I wanted you to find out. Hell, I didn't want you to ever find out."

"Rin...what...?" Yukio didn't understand.

Rin sighed. "Okay, let's keep a long story short. I was eight, and I'd been around these parts for quite some time. Hydra found me one day, told me he was impressed with my skill and wanted me to join him. Told me I'd be able to make some money, help my family out. I remembered how much Dad was struggling to pay bills, so I agreed. I sold drugs to anybody who was willing and able to pay. I also did what most call "dirty work." Basically, if their was an enemy or someone Hydra wanted dead, I did the job. I mean, who would suspect an eight-year-old little boy? Hydra, surprisingly, became sort of a second father to me, though a kind of screwed up one. He died a few months back, right around the time Dad died. It's why I haven't been in the Slums for the past few months. Along with Cram School and the old man's and Hydra's deaths, I've been kind of busy lately. Of course, the other gangs hanging around have decided that now that Hydra's gone, we're vulnerable. Fox decided I should come back, and I agreed. It was time I helped my gang out again. Especially since a lot of fucked-up shit has been going down in the Slums lately."

"You made Dad raise us with blood money!?" Yukio burst.

"More fucked up than usual, he means," a female laughed.

The class turned to see a beautiful girl with long, wavy black locks and bright, luscious dark green orbs. A playful smile played on her deep red lips. She had what one could barely call a top and the shortest shorts that could have existed. "You're Demon's buddies, right? From that demon-fighting school?" This girl was obviously Akiri.

"They know about us?!" Bon barked angrily at Rin.

Rin rolled his eyes. "No shit, Rooster. I was talking to Hack about demon wards over the phone, remember? I told them right after it happened."

Akiri chuckled. "We didn't really care all that much. Sure, it was a shock, but I mean, come on! What kind of human can throw a grown man across an alleyway at the age of eight and cross the borders with such ease by himself? It made more sense than anything else. We accepted him, through and through."

Rin smiled. "And this is why I'm not exactly opposed to staying here. Sure, two of them are prostitutes, one of them is an illegal hacker, and Fox, wherever that idiot is, is a thief. But they haven't once questioned me or looked at me as someone they should fear. Hell, I'm a fucking drug dealer! Here, it doesn't matter what title you have. Killer, prostitute, drug dealer, hacker, thief. Here, that's all they are. Titles."

The exwires swallowed guiltily at this. It was true, they had shunned him all because of his father. It wasn't Rin's fault, but they hadn't cared. All they'd seen was blue flames, Satan, and evil.

Rin ignored their reactions. Steel raised a mocking eyebrow. "Let me guess? Satan's evil, so it's obvious that his son is, too. Well, reality check. My mother was killer, and my dad was a rapist. Sure, I'm a prostitute, but I've never killed unless me or my gang has been threatened, and I've never raped a person in my life. I only do what I need to do to survive and get by. We all do," Steel smirked, throwing an arm around Rin's shoulders and shaking him. "Besides, having a demon, the son of Satan, in your gang kind of gives you an advantage."

"Plus, it's badass!" A voice chimed.

"Fox!" The Bleeding Darkness gang exclaimed.

"Hey! I just busted this small group! Weak but had tons of cash!" Fox grinned.

"I'm confused," Izumo said.

"These Demon's friends? Great to meet you, sorry about the circumstances," he apologized insincerely.

"Yeah, great, but I have a question. Why do you guys need money if you can't even escape the borders?" Izumo asked.

"Ah, see, that's the beauty of having Hack and Demon!" Fox grinned, a glint in his eye.

"Hack here can connect the computer he has to anything outside of the borders! We get the recent news, trends, whereabouts, everything!" Fox exclaimed.

"That includes communication," Hack added.

"Demon here also has a role. With his parkour and ninja skills,"

"Not a ninja," Rin grumbled.

"He's able to find a way over the borders that everyone else around here can't. He, of course, has informed us of this place, and we're able to cross between the borders anytime we want," Fox smirked. "Everyone eventually runs out of money around here. The banks in the city are the jackpot!"

Akiri shrugged when they looked at her. "More money in the city, richer people. Clients out there pay a lot more."

Steel shrugged. "Same."

"Okumura! You're letting criminals into the city! People who have killed!" Bon growled.

Rin rolled his eyes. "And I care why? Doesn't affect me, now does it? And you're forgetting, I'm a criminal, too. I've killed more people than these guys combined. And again, I'm a drug dealer! I have to get my drugs from somewhere!"

"He's right," Hack said.

"Nii-San! You can't just kill people and steal drugs! That's illegal!" Yukio exclaimed.

Rin glared at his younger twin. "I've been doing this since age eight, and you nor the old man has ever known. You can't tell me to stop now. Just be grateful that _I'm_ not the one taking heroine and Mary Jane."

"I think it's time you escort them out anyway. We'll be having visitors soon," Fox informed them.

"Visitors?" Rin halted. "And you didn't mention this before because?"

"Didn't have the chance. I overheard another group, the Ground Breakers or other, planning to infiltrate our territory. The city dwellers won't be able to fight," Fox shrugged.

"We can fight just fine," Shima said.

"Let me rephrase that," Rin said. "He means that you guys won't be able to _kill_. Plus, you know how to fight demons, not humans. So, let's go before they get here."

"Nii-san-" Yukio said, but was cut off as Rin grabbed his arm and dragged him out.

* * *

They made it back over the borders in record time and once Rin dropped the last one of them off at the other side, he turned back around.

"Don't," he demanded. "Don't ever come back here. I know I sounded like a complete bastard back there, a cold, heartless asshole-"

"Hell yeah you did!" Bon growled.

"But, I only did so because you have to understand. I don't want that life for my brother, any of you! I don't want you to be so used to stealing and killing and blood that you don't bat an eye, I don't want you to be able to swipe money from under cops' noses without a single tense muscle because you know it's not that hard, I don't want you to take home money you sliced someone's throat or sold illegal drugs to get! I want you all to earn money the right way, with a job and determination! I want you all to be able to answer honestly and never have that little voice in the back of your head telling you to lie or die! I want you all to be disgusted by the idea of killing in cold blood and illegal activities because that's what normal human beings are like! I wanted a better life for you, Yukio!" He exclaimed, whirling around to stare at Yukio with desperation. "And when I finally had friends, I realized it was just that many more people to hide and keep safe from my disgusting acts of living! You're innocents who've interacted unwillingly with a dirty criminal, and that's my fault. I'm sorry."

"Rin..." Yukio replied quietly in a weak voice, unable to speak.

Rin turned back around, head down. "Tell Shura...that training will have to wait."

Rin leapt back over the borders, and the class was left alone on the other side, feeling very conflicted.

* * *

"Where is that idiot?! He's late! Oh, when I get my hands on 'im..." Shura muttered angrily.

"Shura," a strong voice interrupted her inner turmoil.

"Four-Eyes!" Shura smiled at him. "Do ya know where that brother of yers is? 'Cause he's late! By an hour!"

Yukio sighed in distress. "He said that it'd have to wait. More important things to deal with, I guess."

Shura glared. "More important, my ass. Listen here-"

"Shura," Yukio repeated again, this time more firmly. "I don't think he's coming back to Cram School for a while."

"What? But-" Shura was cut off.

"He didn't tell me directly, but he implied it," Yukio sighed. "Shura, Rin's in deep with stuff I can't begin to fathom anymore. This time, you can't do anything. You'll have to sit this one out."

"Quit bein' cryptic, Four-Eyes!" Shura barked.

Yukio frowned, rubbing his forehead. "He's...in a gang. Bleeding Darkness, if I remember correctly. He's a drug dealer, Shura! He admitted that he's stolen drugs and sold them! He's killed and barely bats an eye! And all from the tender age of eight! And where was I?! I should've been there for him! It's my fault he's like this, why he'd resorted to blood money for us to get by!"

Shura was silent. "Out in the Slums, yeah?"

"Yeah," Yukio whispered hoarsely.

Shura gave him a tight smirk. "He's more of a demon than we thought, huh?"

Yukio shut his eyes tightly. "Shut up."

Shura was silent for a moment before standing up. "If Rin's not comin', I have no reason to stay. See ya!" She sauntered away before stopping.

She paused in the doorway, and turned to look at him. "By the way, I didn't mean it as an insult."

She was gone before Yukio could reply.

* * *

"Demon?"

"Yeah, Akiri?"

"You sure it's all gonna be okay?"

"...No, I'm not sure...but I believe that the future holds something in store for us, be it bad or good. The question is, do we want to face it?"

Akiri shrugged lightly, tilting her head in his direction. "I have no qualms with it. I've never been scared, not since a young age. You learn to get over it."

"Good. Tell the others to stand firm and fast. Get into position. We have a fight to win."

"Roger that," a pause. "Hey, Demon?"

"Yeah?"

"Burn their asses to Gehenna."

A smirk painted the half demon's lips, dangerous and deadly. Satan would have been proud. "What else would I do?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so that's it! This was just a little idea I had after reading a book about Rin being in a gang! It was very interesting, so I made my own, but this is about it! Bye my doggies!


	11. Tokyo Ghoul/One Piece: You Are What You Eat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Luffy and Ace were ghouls, Ace being a half ghoul because with his "daddy issues," it makes sense? What if Sabo always got attacked, and both of them always saved him after knocking him out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on a prompt from tumblr by horomin. This is more like a short story than anything, so yeah. Hope you like it!

Ace and Luffy raced through the trees, determined and scared and desperate.

Eventually, in front of them stood a woman with two black and red eyes, a sharp blade poking from her shoulder as she grinned manically down at a small boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, a top hat with goggles lying on its side only a few meters away.

His face was contorted with fear as the woman cackled, but suddenly the small boy's face went blank and eyes dropped shut as he toppled over onto the grassy floor.

Behind the unconscious child stood an even younger Luffy, arm out, signaling it had been him who had struck the boy in the head.

Ace, the same age as the blond victim, wasted no time in letting flaring burning orange wings burst from his back as he let loose a barrage of spikes at the woman.

She had no time to dodge as the projectiles buried themselves into her limbs, torso, neck, and head, causing her to drop to the ground, bleeding and cold and dead.

"She wasn't even that strong," Luffy's small voice was a whisper as he spoke, worried and sad with the smallest tint of disappointment.

"Better that way," Ace licked his dry lips hurriedly, shuffling over quickly to his brother's side as he gently hefted the unconscious blonde into his arms, wings returning back under his skin. "Took less time than it needed to. 'Sides, Sabo needs medical attention, or at least what can pass for it back home."

"Dadan?" Luffy murmured a quiet question that needed no confirmation.

Ace said nothing and turned, making sure his right eye was its normal dark, almost black, brown and not a dangerous, deadly combination of black and red before rushing back to the mountain bandits hideout.

Of course, Luffy never needed an answer when it came to things such as this, so he merely let a small amount of relief seep into his worry just enough to let some weight lift from his shoulders, and followed his older brother.

* * *

Ghoul attacks were not something common, not when they were believed to be a myth.

The species had died out long ago, or so the people who knew about the existence of the creatures thought.

They were not real, didn't plague the world, according to everyone and everything.

Of course, the few ghouls that did exist did not protest to this for their safety, but they did know that this was not true, for they and any others like them were proof of this lie.

Ace and Luffy knew this best.

While ghouls were rarely seen, and people who had come face to face with them rarely lived, Sabo seemed to always be a target, but always came out alive though not unscathed, which was too much to ask for, in all honesty.

Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were brothers, there was nothing that would change that. Not diets, not species, not myths, and not anyone's opinion.

Because of this, even with Luffy and Ace being ghouls, even with them having to survive off of the exact thing their dear brother was, even with the myths telling people that ghouls were heartless and evil, they refused to leave Sabo to die. They refused to leave Sabo in general because they loved him, and dangerous or not, they were selfish and couldn't bear losing Sabo, whether it be from separation or death.

Sabo was a target to the few ghouls that managed to make their way to the small island they inhabited, whether it was because of his pine, chocolate, and deliciously fruity scent or because the ghouls were attracted to Luffy and Ace.

This was not okay for Ace and Luffy, and as such, they both vowed to protect Sabo from all ghouls, themselves included if it came down to that.

Still, they wouldn't be able to bear it if Sabo had discovered what they were, because they wouldn't be able to handle it if the blonde had shied away from them with fear in his eyes, disgust and hate. They were terrified of him finding out, and they both took careful consideration of what they said and did.

It had been like that for years.

* * *

Twelve-year-old Luffy giggled happily as Ace and Sabo took swipes at one another with pipes. "You guys are never gonna beat each other! You'll be tied forever!" Luffy stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry. "Sucks for you!"

Ace and Sabo, fifteen years of age, paused in their spar and turned sharp eyes to their younger brother. Ace, out of habit, bonked Luffy on the head with his pipe. Being made of rubber, the pipe simply bounced off, Luffy laughing as it did so.

It was odd for a ghoul to have a Devil Fruit. The only reason Luffy did was because he didn't want to look suspicious around Shanks in fear of the pirate discovering his horrid secret. He saw food and forced it down his throat, the bitter taste not registering since playing human had caused the boy to eat many other things before, and they all tasted like shit. You get used to it after a while, so the disgusting taste wasn't all that surprising to him.

"Why are you laughing?" Sabo asked.

"Seriously, you haven't won a single fight against us yet. I don't know why you're so happy about us being even in strength," Ace teased the younger.

Luffy didn't rise to the bait, merely opting for a sunny grin that had both elders on edge. "Doesn't matter. Both of you have some pride issues, even if Sabo hides it better, and that'll mean that until one of you finally wins, the ties will annoy you, even in death."

Both grunted at the statement, but silently and grudgingly admitted to the fact.

Somewhere in the depths of Luffy and Ace's minds, both knew that they could have kicked Sabo's ass with their ghoul strength, but deemed it an unfair advantage. Plus, it was a risky move and not worth a secret reveal at all.

Sabo let his pipe hang at his side, blue eyes turning to scan the skies. "It's already starting to get dark. Who's up for a quick hunt?"

Ace and Luffy's stomach churned at the thought of animal meat, but the thought of a fight meant they would tolerate it, if only for Sabo's sake.

* * *

Really, they should have never split up. One would think the D brothers would know by now that leaving Sabo alone was never a good idea to plant into anyone's head, much less their own.

Not when he was such an easy target for hungry flesh eaters that could very well roam the dark forest, rare or not.

And when a loud scream of pain echoed through the trees, Luffy and Ace were already sprinting, following the scent and sound of their human brother. Separated they were, but following the same scents and sounds allowed them to meet in the middle.

And when they got to Sabo, the sight made them want to heave and drool at the same time.

A ghoul, male and much older than them, had obviously already started in on the blonde, Sabo's right eye unseen by the amount of blood.

It scared the shit out of the younger ghouls.

Sabo was clearly already unconscious, so Ace and Luffy jumped at the chance, hesitation but a legend in their heads.

Ace's burning wings and Luffy's numerous red tentacles sprouted from their backs, prepared for battle.

The elder ghoul swung to face them, a malicious and dirty smile painting his features as he brought out yellow-colored wings like Ace's, bright and burning like fire.

Obviously, they would not catch this one off guard like usual, so they focused all of the training they had done into this one fight, intent on winning, to reclaim their lives and Sabo's.

Ace and Luffy were clearly younger, but experience helped the two along in the clash, along with their element of surprise, and many adults' habit to underestimate children was also a welcome advantage.

Ace lunged first, opting for a close-ranged attack instead of a far one to distract the elder so that Luffy could maneuver behind with less chance of being seen.

With so much experience with situations like this, the brothers needed no words to tell the other what they needed to do, nor were gestures commonly used. Only actions were taken, and the other followed behind the best they could interpret.

A clash of ukaku and ukaku continued on Ace's side of the battlefield, sparks flying from the hardened wing-like kagune.

Luffy took to his advantage the elder being so preoccupied with Ace, focusing his rinkaku at the ghoul's neck and lunging forward.

The ghoul had heard the rush of wind and made to act on it, but by the time he had turned around, two rinkaku were already embedded into his abdomen with a third in his neck and the last through his skull.

Even if he had managed to turn around quick enough, Ace had been prepared, and the moment he had turned to defend himself from Luffy, Ace had already sent a large flock of orange shards at the back of the older's head to ensure death.

Either way, the ghoul had lost. Whether or not it had managed to dodge or block the youngest's attack did not matter.

Ace and Luffy sheathed their dangerous weapons back beneath their flesh, focusing their eyes, or eye in Ace's case, back to normal.

Ace scooped up Sabo in a way that could only be a second nature, and both rushed back to Dadan's.

When they got back, the mountain bandits turned to look at them.

Luffy didn't make a sound, Ace didn't say a word, but the tears trailing down Luffy's cheeks and the suspiciously wet eyes of Ace had said enough as Ace held a bruised, cut, and bloodied Sabo in his arms.

* * *

When Sabo woke up, his right eye was bandaged, the white wrapped around his head in a diagonal pattern, crossing over his curly blonde hair.

Ace and Luffy swallowed thickly, the scent of blood still lingering in the room. They hadn't eaten in a while, and this incident was poorly timed. Both struggled to keep their eyes under control.

"Sabo!" Luffy cheered, bouncing forward and hugging his blonde older brother. "You're awake! It was so weird! We heard a yell, and when we found you, a huge bear had knocked you unconscious! Dadan says we're lucky it didn't claw your eye out!"

Sabo sat there, the visible eye blinking for a moment. Ace frowned. "Are you okay, Sabo? Headache?"

Slowly, a sad smile formed on his face, and a guilty laugh escaped his lips. "You guys really are terrified, aren't you?"

Luffy and Ace frowned. "What? What do you mean?" Luffy asked, trying to discreetly wipe away the drool that had formed on the corner of his mouth from the scent of blood. Ace noticed this and tried to elbow him without being seen.

Of course, neither of these things slipped past Sabo's notice. His one eye flitted between them, filled with sadness, guilt, and desperation. "You guys are hungry, aren't you?" He asked, and before they could say anything, he lifted a hand to the collar of his shirt and pulled down, exposing his shoulder. "I don't mind if you eat me."

The world around them froze.

Ace and Luffy stared at him, wide eyed and shocked. Guard dropped, their eyes slowly turned black and red.

"You...knew?" Ace choked.

"I've known all along," Sabo flashed them a sad smile. "Did you really think I would turn my back on you because of this? Hate you, fear you? I don't care because I love you. That will never change."

Luffy sobbed, gritting his teeth with wide kakugan as tears streamed down his cheeks. Ace turned his head slightly, but his eyes still slanted to stare at Sabo as a few tears broke free. He glared, baring his teeth. "And what? Because you know, we have permission to eat you? No fucking way!"

Luffy frantically shook his head, pressing his lips tightly together. "Nuh uh! No! Can't hurt Sabo, never!"

Sabo stared at them with kind eyes, pulling his shirt down farther. "It's okay. It'll make you feel better, right? I can't let you die, you're my brothers."

The scent of Sabo hit their hungry senses full force, but Ace refused to give in to his disgusting cravings.

Luffy, on the other hand, was still young and had less control than his older brother. Still, he knew what he was about to give himself up to and tried his best to tell Ace.

"Ace! Help!" was all that escaped his mouth before he sprang forward, but it was enough for Ace to get the message.

As Ace grabbed his brother by the waist, he knew he couldn't blame the younger. He knew how hard it was to control the hunger, and Sabo did smell very good. Besides, the younger had taken it upon himself to warn Ace so that he could stop Luffy, which proved that Luffy really was trying.

"Sabo, you bastard," Ace gritted out, trying to drag his thrashing brother away.

Sabo let go of his shirt, but stared sadly at them. "Then what are you going to do? Starve?"

"Do what we always do. Find somebody who's already been killed by the wild things living in these forests, and eat them," Ace replied, tugging his brother harshly towards the door.

"We're talking about this later," Sabo said softly.

Ace glared at him. "We better be."

* * *

When Ace and Luffy made it back, Sabo was standing outside the hut for them, bandage still firmly in place.

Luffy shuffled behind Ace, unable to hide his immense guilt. Sabo, seeing this, stepped forward and pulled Luffy into a hug, wrapping his arms warmly around his brother. "It's okay, Luffy. It was my fault, okay? I pressured you. It's alright."

Luffy sniffled into Sabo's shirt and murmured a quiet, "I'm sorry," in reply.

When Luffy finally let go, Ace spoke up. "How can you not be scared? How can you not hate us?"

"Despite the bullshit I've heard in the stories about ghouls, I know that they're not true. I figured you guys out because of them, but they obviously had some false information," Sabo replied, giving them a hopeful, love-filled smile.

"How is that?" Luffy murmured.

"They say ghouls are heartless creatures, beasts disguised as humans, cold, disgusting, unlovable monsters. They have no emotions and bring themselves joy in torturing and eating their victims," Sabo relayed. "Human's feel emotions, they know love and feel pain. They feel guilt, love, sadness, happiness, grief, and fear. They breathe and walk and talk. Their eyes shine with a light that makes them alive."

Sabo smiled. "You guys may be ghouls, but you're human as well, more than you can imagine. You guys walk, you breathe, talk, and have that spark of life in your eyes. You've felt fear, pain, guilt, grief, love, sadness, and happiness before. "You are what you eat," people say. I couldn't find this truer."

"You're ghouls, not monsters. Being human means much more than having a normal diet and not possessing super strength," Sabo finished.

They couldn't move, so Sabo took this moment to pull them into an embrace, hugging them tightly. "It's okay."

And the dam finally broke.

And for once in his life, Ace was sure he could call the people standing in front of him his family.

* * *

 

Years came to pass after that moment, and the trio had become much closer. Sabo's eye had healed over time, leaving a large burn scar over his eye from which was caused the the ghoul's flaming ukaku.

They still did the same things, hunting, training, pissing off Dadan, visiting Makino, running away from Garp, and the like. But there were also changes, such as Sabo demanding they use their full strength to fight him so he'd be able to take on a ghoul himself without their help, not bothering to hide the fact that they were going to go find food, teaching each other, Ace and Luffy, better control over their hunger, and so on.

Even with this new development, their dreams were something that continued to exist and burn brightly in their desires.

And when Sabo and Ace turned seventeen, they sailed off together, waving goodbye to Luffy as their little brother bounced on the dock, waving his arms in a dramatic goodbye next to a fondly smiling Makino.

They hoped he would be okay by himself.

* * *

Luffy set off three years later, no less and no more, sailing away from the village and island he'd known for so long with a wide grin on his face, ready to take on the world.

As he looked out onto the horizon, he could feel the adventure and freedom calling to him and knew that no matter what, things would turn out for the better in the long run.

"I'm going to be King of the Pirates!" The exclamation rang throughout the seas, and if the waves rippled from the determination and pure will of the statement, nobody made the connection.

* * *

**Okay, so views are going to switch between Ace and Sabo then back to Luffy, and so on. Ace and Sabo's views are in the past, more reminiscent, and Luffy's are in the present. Just so you know! On with the story!**

* * *

Crew member after crew member, Luffy recruited his own nakama. People with dreams and ambitions, people who burned brightly without knowing it, and people Luffy knew would be the best.

Roronoa Zoro, his first mate and swordsman with the dream to become the Greatest Swordsman in the world.

Nami, his navigator with the dream to create a map of the world.

Usopp, his sniper with the dream to become a great warrior of the sea.

Sanji, his cook with the dream to find the All Blue, a sea containing every fish imaginable.

Tony Tony Chopper, his doctor with the dream to become the best doctor and find a cure for every sickness there is.

Nico Robin, his archeologist with the dream to find the True History of the world.

Franky, his shipwright with the dream to sail the best ship he'd ever built across the globe.

Brook, his musician with the dream to go back to his whale friend, Laboon, one day and reunite with him.

Then there was Luffy himself, the captain with the dream to be Pirate King and to acquire the most freedom the world had to offer and more.

Luffy loved his crew like family, but old habits die hard, and the fear of them discovering his carefully hidden secret scared him just as much as losing them did.

He never told them.

* * *

Ace and Sabo thought they'd go separate ways after sailing, but when Ace made the same mistake Luffy did as a kid, he felt like an idiot, and Sabo felt obligated to help his brother out.

With his new fire powers and sailing the Grand Line, difficult times were ahead of them.

Hiding his ghoul nature from his own crew was hassle enough as it was.

* * *

Sabo called him an idiot, but Ace hadn't listened, continuing to assault Whitebeard after his many failed assassination attempts.

Sabo, for the hundredth time (he'd lost track a while ago), watched Ace lung forward covered in fire at Whitebeard's figure.

At this point, the crew was simply waiting for Ace to give up and join the crew, since it was painfully obvious that's all Whitebeard wanted.

Sabo still remembered them asking him, and he'd shrugged. "By now, it doesn't matter to me. Freedom is freedom. I mean, I wanted to be captain, but I'm not so sure anymore. Whatever Ace chooses, stupid decisions aside, I'll be right behind him."

Marco raised a brow at him. "But you're going to continue to watch your brother get his ass handed to him by Oyaji, yoi?"

Sabo smirked, shrugging innocently. "Basically. Maybe it's not obvious to you, but I grew up with him. He wants to stay, he wants to be apart of this crew, but his doubts, his fears, and his past prevent him from admitting that, to your crew and himself," Sabo flicked his eyes to Marco's, the right eye having a large burn scar over it. Marco idly wondered where it'd come from. "You guys have a long way to go to earn Ace's trust. We've been brothers for a long time, but it took him a while to even trust me."

Marco raised his eyebrows in surprise, and Sabo laughed. "We're not blood related, obviously, but the bond is stronger than anything I could have imagined. It's my treasure."

"How did you earn his trust?" Marco asked.

Sabo shook his head. "There's no way I can tell you that. I'd become a slave before I betrayed Ace like that. You'll have to figure that one out on your own."

Sabo pushed off from the railing, gave a mocking salute, and padded off.

Marco was left standing in the smoke of Ace's most recent attack.

* * *

Out at sea for a month, no island yet, and Luffy was dying.

He was hungry, and while he could control his hunger to a point, there was a limit for every ghoul.

Luffy was reaching his.

He remembered recruiting Sanji out of his crew's needs more than his own, but over time, Sanji had become a nakama, family, and just like the rest of them, important to him.

He felt bad because he knew Sanji had suffered some type of starvation period in his life, and Luffy knew Sanji never let anyone starve. It went against everything he knew, everything he believed in.

He felt bad when he ate his food and wanted to throw up as he swallowed while everybody complimented him on it (except Zoro, but Luffy knew he only did it to piss Sanji off).

So, when breakfast was over, he went to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet.

So, when lunch was over, he went to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet.

So, when dinner was over, he went to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet.

He stuck his fingers down his throat every time and _pressed_.

He gagged, he spit, his mouth tasted foul, and he cried.

Out at sea for a month, no island yet, and Luffy was guilty.

He didn't want to hurt his nakama, he didn't want them to be scared, to hate him. He didn't like the fact that he wanted to eat them, to devour them.

Out at sea for a month, no island yet, and Luffy was _**terrified**_.

* * *

Ace hadn't given up, but he was starting to think that maybe he was going about this all wrong.

"Why do you call him that?" Ace blurted out as Marco stood in front of him, talking about Whitebeard.

"What?" Marco asked.

"Why do you call him Oyaji?" Ace asked.

"Because he calls us his sons. It's just a word, but to everyone else, we're monsters, yoi. It's just a word, but it makes us happy," Marco told him, a small smile playing on his lips.

Ace swallowed but said nothing.

* * *

It was quiet, a starry night, peaceful and calm with gentle waves lapping at the ship. Even with this atmosphere, Ace couldn't swallow the lump in his throat or rid his stomach of the rock that sat at the bottom.

Whitebeard looked down at him curiously. "What do you want, son?"

Ace flinched violently, the word stabbing at him like kagune. He felt sick. He didn't want to be someone's son, he didn't want a father, not when he was the son of _him_.

But the crew had been telling him that they wanted him to join, to be a part of their family, and Ace knew Sabo wouldn't object if Ace decided to stay. The blonde seemed to trust them, if only slightly.

"What would you say," Ace started softly with a hard tone. "if Gold Roger had a son?"

Whitebeard blinked. "Why should I care?"

Ace's breath caught in his throat, and he gripped the railing like a lifeline. He said nothing for moment before dropping his head.

Whitebeard expected him to say something, attack him maybe, but not walk away.

And that's exactly what Ace did.

* * *

Edward Newgate was puzzled by the reaction and before he could try to decipher it, a familiar blonde stepped from the shadows.

"Sabo," Whitebeard acknowledged.

"Whitebeard," Sabo bowed slightly before straightening. "You are confused."

"He walked away. That's the last thing I expected him to do," Whitebeard said. "Why do I feel like I was just given a test?"

Sabo smiled mysteriously. "Because you were."

"And did I pass?" Whitebeard asked the blonde calmly.

Sabo's mysterious smile turned to that of a smirk. "He didn't attack you."

"He didn't say anything, either," Whitebeard said.

"He couldn't handle the fact that your answer was different than all the others he's heard. It's good for his mental health, not so much for his heart," Sabo joked darkly.

"And why was this important to him?"

Sabo stared the large man in the eyes, his own twinkling with hope. "You're a smart man. You figure it out."

Whitebeard smiled at the ex-noble. He was pretty sure he already knew.

* * *

Luffy knew they'd worry, but he didn't know what else to do.

He locked the door to the men's room and barricaded himself inside.

It didn't take long for his crew to become concerned, however, which warmed his heart and made him annoyed all at once.

"Luffy?" Nami's voice echoed through the wooden door. "We know you're in there. We don't know why you've locked yourself in there, but you have to come out sometime. Are you okay?"

Luffy trembled. She smelled like tangerines and spice. "When do we get to the next island?"

Nami paused, and he could hear a confused noise make its way out of her throat, along with some whispering from the others.

"Uh, according to my Log Pose, we'll be at the next island in about two days. Why?" Nami asked gently.

Luffy ignored her question. "Is it populated? Are there villages or towns?"

"Uhm, yes. Luffy, these are some weird questions. I know it's been a while since we've been on solid land, but that can't be any reason to lock yourself in the men's room," Nami said.

Luffy shook his head, but knew that they couldn't see it. "Until we get to that island, I'm not coming out."

"You'll starve, you shitty rubber," Sanji's voice came through. He smelled like lemons with powdered sugar.

' _Already am_ ,' Luffy thought bitterly, but knew that it wasn't Sanji's fault.

"I'll deal," Luffy replied because he didn't want Sanji giving him food when he couldn't eat it. Not when there was nowhere to throw up and get rid of the evidence.

"What's wrong, Luffy?" Zoro's voice came through this time, and Luffy bit his lip. Limes and mints was all he could smell from him. It was dizzying.

"Nothing! But I'm not coming out until we get to that island!"

"Are you sick?" Chopper's voice sounded into the room, and Luffy was grateful. Chopper was still made of reindeer meat, Devil Fruit or not, and this meant Chopper was in no danger.

Still, Luffy couldn't allow Chopper to see him, to see his eyes.

Usopp's voice came through, and Luffy remembered the smell of chocolate and cinnamon. Then it was Robin's, and she smelled like lavender and vanilla. Franky came next, but there was very little human flesh left on him, so he merely smelled like oil and rust. Brook was okay, too, because he was only bones, and Luffy was a ghoul, not a dog. Bones were not considered food. He didn't smell like much of anything except sea salt and maybe the oncoming of a storm, which was odd in itself.

Luffy clawed at his head. "Leave me alone! If you want me to come out, then get us to the next island!"

"Did you not hear me?" Nami huffed through the door. "It'll be two days at most."

The amount of time it would take finally registered in Luffy's head.

Two days...  
_Two days..._  
_**Two days...**_  
_**Two days...**_

"Two days?!" Luffy's screech almost cracked the wood. "I can't wait that long!"

"Are you sick?!" Chopper repeated in panic.

"No!" Luffy replied loudly. "I'm not sick!" His breathing heaved. "Do we have enough cola for a Coup de Burst?"

"Luffy, that's wasting cola," Franky said.

"I said, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH?!" Luffy barked, and the crew outside froze. They'd never heard him so serious, so desperate.

"Yes," Franky said softly but loud enough for Luffy to hear.

"Start it up," Luffy replied robotically.

"Luffy-" Usopp's voice shook slightly, but Luffy was having none of it.

"NOW! CAPTAIN'S ORDERS!"

Monkey D. Luffy had just pulled the Captain Card. The world was ending.

Outside of the cabin, the crew glanced at each other uneasily.

Zoro took a breath and stood firm. "You heard him, start it up. In the meantime, I'll try to get through to him."

* * *

Ace came back the next night, sitting next to Whitebeard a good distance away and staring at the stars. He said nothing. It was up to Whitebeard to spark a conversation.

The large man looked down at Ace, definitely the son of Gol D. Roger, and smiled gently. "The son of Roger?"

Ace narrowed his eyes, but gave a bitter grunt to confirm.

"I repeat, why should I care?"

Ace looked at him in confused rage. "Why wouldn't you?! He was your enemy!"

Whitebeard smiled. "It does not matter what crimes Roger did or did not commit in my presence. I will not condemn a child for his or her parentage. Everyone is a child of the sea."

Ace stared wide eyed at the old man he had wanted to kill before. Now...

"Thank you," Ace teared up, but didn't dare cry.

Whitebeard had accepted his lot in being the late Pirate King's son. But it was painfully clear he had no knowledge of what Roger had been, and that meant he had no idea what Ace was.

There was still trust to be earned.

* * *

"Did I succeed?" Whitebeard asked the blonde once Ace had up and left.

Sabo continued to smile. "You're on the right path, but there's so much more you still need to accept."

"And what would that be?"

Sabo shook his head. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Marco. I can't tell you that. I'd become a slave before I ever betrayed Ace in such a way. You'll have to figure that out on your own."

Sabo walked away, and the Strongest Man in the World was left to ponder.

* * *

"Luffy, just let me in. I'll lock the door behind me, and it'll just be you and me," Zoro desperately tried to negotiate with his distressed captain.

"That's what I'm worried about," Luffy's whimper was muffled by the blankets he had buried his face into to try and cancel out the smells, but Zoro heard it anyway.

Outside, Zoro growled in frustration. He understood Luffy more than anyone, and he was proud of that, but for once he could not understand his captain, and it irritated him to no end.

' _That's it_ ,' Zoro decided and walked away.

Luffy listened but all was silent. Hope rose in his chest. Maybe they had given up!

When the door handle started to jiggle, and the sound of a lock being picked rang in his ears, Luffy panicked.

He wasn't quick enough to kick off the blankets and race over to hold the door.

Zoro had already stepped inside.

* * *

Luffy's senses were filled with the smell of limes and mints and _Zoro_.

He shut his eyes and breathed harshly through his mouth, digging his nose into the blankets as far as he could.

"Luffy," Zoro's deep voice sounded in his ears as a rough hand was placed on his shoulder. "What's the matter with you?"

Luffy thinks he heard Zoro's voice crack. He can't be sure.

Luffy shook his head, shrugging the hand off and scrambling back, blanket still pressed to his face and eyes still shut because he knows his eyes have already changed.

He can't risk Zoro seeing.

"Get out," Luffy hissed. "Get the hell out!"

"Luffy!" The voice was now a bark. "Look at me!"

Luffy refused, keeping his eyes shut and struggling not to let Zoro's scent seep in.

Luffy started to cry for the first time in years, and he could feel Zoro freeze above him.

"Please, get out. Please, I don't want to hurt you," Luffy pleaded.

Zoro, for once when it came to his captain, didn't know what to do.

* * *

Ace thought he'd found people, this crew, to accept Sabo and him. But Ace still couldn't be sure because they didn't know that the only thing he could eat was flesh.

The month was already closing in, and Ace was barely holding on. Sabo knew this, but they couldn't leave the ship unnoticed.

"Ace," Sabo hissed. "If you're going to be such a baby about it, I'll lock you in a room with me until you finally cave and eat something, even if that something is me!"

Ace shook his head. "I would never forgive myself if I hurt you. Besides, we're going to reach an island tomorrow, mid-day. Marco told me so."

Sabo sighed. "Fine, but if worse comes to worse, you will eat me! It would make me suffer more for you to suffer rather than just taking a damn bite out of me, if only to tide you over."

Ace agreed because one way or another, he was getting food the next day, and there was no way he was going to ever hurt a hair on the former noble's head.

"Sabo?"

"Yeah?"

"If push comes to shove, and there's any possible way that these guys accept me, Pirate King's son and ghoul all together, I...want to stay here," Ace told him.

Slowly, Sabo smiled. "I'll be right next to you."

* * *

Zoro was glad he had shut the door and locked it because he knew that what he was seeing at the moment wasn't something Luffy wanted anyone to see.

Zoro bent downwards, crossing his legs as he sat down in front of his captain. He vaguely noticed the tears soaking the blanket were tinted red.

"Luffy...are you crying blood?" Zoro asked in mild horror, because what the hell?

Luffy shook his head vehemently. "No, no, I'm not, but the only person who could ever understand that isn't here."

Zoro sighed and leaned forward, taking the smaller captain into his arms, pulling him away from the confines of his blanket and pulling his face to his shoulder. "Luffy, nobody's going to turn on you. Tell me what's wrong."

Luffy gasped as his face was pressed to Zoro's shoulder, and why couldn't it have been Chopper or Franky or Brook, because Luffy could smell limes and mints and it made his mouth water. He couldn't take it.

He struggled and thrashed, kicking and flailing his rubbery limbs to escape the swordsman's hold. "Let me go! Let me go now! Stop! Stop!"

Luffy's scream echoed across the ship, and the door was pounded on instantaneously. "Luffy? Zoro? What's happening?! Are you two okay?!" Chopper's voice asked worriedly.

Suddenly, the ship rattled and rocked before they were sent off the floor and back onto it again, all in the same second.

Both males rolled to the wall of the cabin, slamming into it brutally. "The Coup de Burst!" Zoro yelled in realization.

He turned to Luffy, who still had his eyes closed, and noticed the small amount of relief in his posture. "Thank god..." Luffy whispered.

Luffy seemed to stiffen suddenly, closed eyes turning to Zoro. "Get out."

"Luffy, please..." Zoro had resorted to begging.

Luffy shook his head stiffly. "I'm sorry, but I can't..."

The locked door rattled and was flung open. Luffy took this chance to shove Zoro out of it, slamming it shut and pushing a dresser flush against it.

Luffy breathed heavily and sobbed. For a moment, he'd wanted to tear Zoro's shoulder open and _eat_ , but he couldn't, he shouldn't, he wouldn't.

Luffy would never forgive himself.

"I can't ever hurt you. I won't let myself," he finished quietly.

* * *

The Whitebeard crew docked at an island, and Ace wasted no time in leaping off and rushing into the village. Sabo watched him go with sad eyes.

A voice spoke up behind him. "You sure he's not gonna run away, yoi?"

Sabo chuckled. "He left me behind. I'm fairly sure he's not going anywhere."

Marco frowned. "Where's he going?"

"To eat," Sabo shrugged.

"We literally just gave him lunch," Marco said.

Sabo shook his head and walked over to the mast, lifting a deck board and revealing all of the food they had given him, rotting and gross sitting beneath.

"What? He can't just waste food like that!" Marco glared. "Is Thatch's food not good enough, yoi?"

Sabo sighed sadly, placing the board back in its rightful place. "You don't understand. He can't eat any of that."

"Allergies?" Marco asked, afraid they'd been unintentionally starving him.

"No," Sabo heaved a heavy sigh. "There's a lot you don't know, about Ace, about the world, about a lot of things. And if you don't know those things, you'll never understand Ace. I'm sorry, Marco, but maybe you'll find the answers you're looking for in your captain." The blonde flashed him a sad smile before leaping off the ship, headed in the direction of his brother.

Marco turned around to glance at Oyaji. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Marco stared at his captain, his father, and told him what Sabo had told him.

Whitebeard seemed to ponder this before furrowing his brow. "Have you heard the myths about ghouls?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Marco trailed off. "No, no way, Oyaji! Ghouls are myths, as in not real! There's no way, yoi!"

"There's a lot you don't know, about Ace, about the world, about a lot of things. And if you don't know those things, you'll never understand Ace," Whitebeard quoted the words Marco had relayed from Sabo. "Maybe he was saying that just because people say something doesn't mean it's true. Devil Fruits are also considered myths, after all."

The realization settled in for both pirates, and suddenly, the world seemed a whole lot bigger.

* * *

 

It was a risk, a large one at that, but they took it and told a few commanders about their discovery, the ones being Vista, Jozu, Izou, and Thatch of course, him being the cook and all.

"You mean _I_ was the one who wasted food?" Thatch asked in horror.

"You didn't know," Whitebeard attempted to placate his son. "It is no one's fault."

"But if Ace really is a ghoul, then...how are we supposed to feed him?" Vista asked.

Thatch slammed his fist onto the table. "I don't care what species anyone is! I'm a cook, and nobody on this ship is going to starve! If Ace eats human flesh, I'll carve a piece right out of my leg!"

Izou sighed. "I don't think we need to go that far. It's obvious Ace only needs to eat around every month or so, and if stopping at an island allows Ace a full meal, then it's simply that easy."

"So, what happens next time when we land on one of our protected islands? Let Ace eat one of the villagers?" Jozu asked, though not bitterly.

"Maybe Ace doesn't even kill people," Marco suggested. "Sad as it is, people die all the time, and people don't always find the bodies, yoi. Maybe Ace eats people who have recently died, you know, so the body isn't spoiled or rotten."

"True," Jozu conceded.

"And if that's not the case?" Izou asked.

"Then we make a plan and help Ace," Whitebeard said in finality.

The commanders grinned. They couldn't agree more.

* * *

Ace had never felt such relief in his life. Maybe God was on his side, if one existed, for he had found a recent corpse right away. Ace didn't think he would be able to hold out much longer.

Rustling was heard behind him, and Ace didn't think to check, turning around, fully prepared to face his blond brother. "Hey, Sabo! I just found this body and-"

His words quickly died off as he stared at the figures in front of him. Marco, Izou, Jozu, Vista, and Thatch stared back at him.

He was terrified because he was covered blood, his eye was transformed, and his kagune burned a bright orange in the darkness of the trees. He tried to speak, but only choking noises escaped him.

The commanders seemed to take pity on him. "It's okay, Ace. We figured it out a couple of hours ago, yoi," Marco assured him.

Ace still couldn't erase the horror from his expression, so Thatch made to clarify. "We don't care."

Ace trembled. "How can you not care? I eat human flesh!"

"Not by choice," Izou sighed. "It's okay, Ace. You're still part of the crew, even if you don't see yourself as such."

A poorly-timed Sabo stepped into the clearing in that moment. "Hey, Ace, we need to go..." He trailed off, glancing at the commanders. "Is this a bad time?"

Ace slowly shook his head, tearful laughter bubbling in his gut. "No, not at all."

And for the second time in his life, Ace was sure he could call the people standing in front of him his family.

* * *

 

And a year later, it was still like that. The Whitebeard crew was his and Sabo's family.

And when Luffy got his first bounty, Ace and Sabo cheered and celebrated. The crew didn't have a clue as to why the booze had gone missing and grins graced the brothers' faces, but the next morning, when one blonde crew member hobbled onto the deck, hungover and sick, the crew figured out where all the booze had disappeared to.

They never did figure out what had obligated them to steal it in the first place, though.

* * *

**We'll be switching back to the present and the present only now! PS There is no Blackbeard since that would throw my whole story off counterbalance. On with the story!**

* * *

The Coup de Burst had thrown them all the way to the island, thankfully enough.

A soft knock sounded on his door. "Captain-san?" Robin's voice drifted through the walls. "You can come out now. We're at the island."

Luffy shuffled towards the door, pushing the dresser out of the way. "Move back," he said.

He heard footsteps and hoped they had been sensible enough to listen. Adjusting his hat to hide his eyes, Luffy sprinted through the door and out into sunlight without warning.

He didn't stop running, the village in his sights. He was fully prepared to launch himself off the deck and avoid his crew until he was full and in control again.

Unfortunately, his nakama had other ideas. He felt something grab his ankle and sent him crashing to the wooden deck before he was able to launch over the railing.

Peeking out from under his hat but not revealing his eyes, Luffy noticed Robin's arms were crossed.

' _She used her Devil Fruit on me_ ,' Luffy realized.

Luffy growled, the noise sounding too inhuman for the rubber man's liking. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Because we're very worried, Luffy-san," Brook said.

Luffy gritted his teeth and shut his eyes for precaution. "You don't understand."

Their scents were already overwhelming him, limes and mints, lavender and vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon, tangerines and spice, lemons and powdered sugar, they all clouded his nose.

He trembled, feeling like a trapped animal. He didn't want to hurt his crew, but he couldn't run from them either. He couldn't move for the risk of setting himself off and attacking.

Luffy did the only thing he could do. He called out for his brothers. "ACE! SABO! HELP ME!"

* * *

Portgas D. Ace along with his brother, Sabo, traipsed along the island with Marco and Thatch.

"Hey, I think another group of pirates are docked here," Thatch mentioned.

"Hope they're friendly," Ace muttered.

Marco chuckled. "I think they are. I saw their flag on the way in, yoi. I'm pretty sure it was that new rookie group, the Strawhats."

At this admission, Sabo and Ace froze. "Strawhats?" They echoed.

Marco and Thatch looked at the brothers weirdly.

"Yeah..." Thatch trailed off uncertainly.

Before the pair could say another word, a scream echoed through the air. "ACE! SABO! HELP ME!"

The brothers' blood ran cold because they knew that voice. It was Luffy, and he was scared and desperate and in trouble.

Ace and Sabo whipped their heads to stare at each other, the same conclusion reaching them. "LUFFY!"

The boys sprinted off, leaving a worried Marco and a very confused Thatch in a cloud of dust.

* * *

The Strawhat crew paused in their advances when their captain called out for two people they had never heard of, names they didn't recognize.

"Luffy, what're you-" Sanji was cut off by two loud male voices.

"LUFFY!"

The Strawhats look over to see two men on the dock, around twenty years of age.

One had curly blonde hair that came right below his blue eyes, wearing a long black jacket with a buckle on the left sleeve, with a blue shirt and vest, a frilled cravat, and a simple belt holding a pair of loosen light-blue pants with black boots wrapped with buckles and cloth bracings. He also wore a pair of brown gloves.

The other had black hair reaching to the back of his neck while the front was just under his dark black eyes, brushing against lightly freckled cheeks. He wore no shirt, but wore a tattoo of Whitebeard's mark on his back along with a tattoo that read "ACE" on his upper left bicep. He wore black boots, black knee-length shorts with an eyelet-studded orange belt, and a blue pouch belted around his left leg. He also wore a short second belt with a large red "A" on the silver buckle over his right hip, but left it unfastened and threaded the free end along the back of his shorts. A dagger in a green sheath hung at his left hip. On his left arm, he wore a Log Pose and a red and white striped bracelet around his wrist, and an orange elbow guard. He wore a red beaded necklace and an orange hat with two blue smileys, one frowning and one smiling, and a string of red beads sitting above the rim. Two long orange side straps hung down the sides of his hat and met at a large medallion of a bull's skull with orange tassels.

Both looked up at them before dragging their eyes to Luffy.

Without warning, both leapt onto the ship. "Luffy!"

The Strawhat captain turned his hidden eyes to the two, and he gasped. "Ace, Sabo, you guys...came?"

"We heard you yell," the blonde began. "We knew it was you, so we started running. Coincidence that we were on the same island, huh?"

Luffy merely whimpered, and the freckled boy was at his side in an instant, hugging the boy to his bare chest.

Zoro stepped forward, fingers dancing across his sheathed blade, but when he noticed Luffy wasn't thrashing away from the man like he had with Zoro, the swordsman drew back, a touch of jealousy rising in his chest.

The blonde noticed this and smiled. "Relax. At this point, only Ace is allowed to do this. If I were to try and hug him, he'd scream against me. It's his way of defense when he's like this."

' _Like what_?' The crew thought in confusion.

"What's the matter, Lu?" The man, Ace, asked softly.

"Wouldn't let me go," Luffy sniffled. "Can smell everything, but they were just worried, but I can't help it...I panicked..."

"They don't know?" Ace asked sadly.

The crew could only wonder what Luffy had been hiding from them.

Luffy shook his head negative. "I couldn't, there was no way I could, I...I'm terrified."

The very statement sent knives through the crew's hearts because their fearless captain shouldn't fear his own nakama.

"Do you not trust us, Luffy-bro?" Franky asked.

Sabo put a hand on the cyborg's shoulder. "I don't think you get it. It's not that Luffy doesn't trust you. It's that he doesn't trust himself."

Ace stroked his fingers through the young man's hair. "I was scared, too, when my crew found out. But they didn't care because they are my family, Lu, and if these guys are yours," Ace locked eyes with the crew. "they won't care either. They'll help you, just like my crew did for me."

Luffy choked on his own tears. "I don't know how to start."

"Start simple," Ace advised gently. "Tell them in the simplest way you can why you're scared."

Luffy nodded and turned to his crew, still hiding his eyes. "I'm...I'm hungry." Immediately, the boy cringed as if what he'd just said was a sin in itself.

The crew froze.

"Hungry?" Sanji asked lowly. "All this trouble and worry...because you're hungry?"

"Stop," Ace hissed at them. Sanji became silent. "If you criticize him now, he'll never open up, and I'll be damned if I let you live if that happens. There's more to this, a lot more, so shut the fuck up and listen."

Ace once more turned his attentions back to his little brother. "Luffy, I want you to look at them."

"No...Ace, please..." Luffy begged.

"Look at them, Luffy," Ace murmured. "Show them your eyes."

Luffy hesitated for a moment before turning his head up to stare at his crew, eyes being revealed for once in a long while.

The black and red combination in both of Luffy's orbs made the crew's blood run cold.

They all knew the stories that people told children to scare them. The stories of ghouls, how they devoured human flesh, how they were evil and heartless.

But Luffy wasn't heartless or evil. He was kind and strong and brave and just so _Luffy_...

But he was a ghoul.

The stories had to be wrong.

"My food didn't do you any good, did it?" Sanji's first question was this, and it somehow made the two men gaze at him proudly.

"No. I'm sorry I wasted it...I just couldn't...tell you the truth," Luffy swallowed thickly.

Zoro remembered how he'd hugged Luffy, shoved the blanket away and put the captain's face to his shoulder. It had probably been torture for Luffy, hungry with flesh right there but not willing to hurt his nakama, so all he was able to do was thrash and scream for Zoro to let go.

"I'm so sorry, Luffy," Zoro apologized, and Luffy seemed to understand.

"Luffy needs food," Ace said quickly. "I'll take him deeper into the less inhabited parts of town, and we'll get food there. I'm quite due for a meal myself."

Sabo nodded. "I'll answer the rest of these guy's questions."

Ace nodded, and the crew noted that only one of Ace's eyes turned to that of a ghoul.

Both rushed off, and Sabo turned to them. "Any questions?"

"I'd like to know who you are," Nami requested.

"I'm Sabo, and the other was Ace. We're Luffy's older brothers. Pleasure to meet you."

* * *

"How could Luffy keep the secret of older brothers?" Usopp asked. "He's not exactly the greatest liar."

Sabo sighed. "Luffy doesn't like talking about the past. He likes to live in the present. Most of his life, he's lived in fear, so I can understand that. Besides, it's not like Luffy even had to lie. You guys didn't ask and the question was never brought up, so Luffy had no reason to say anything."

"Sabo! Ace!" Two men called.

Sabo and the crew looked at the dock to see Marco and Thatch.

"Hey!" Sabo waved.

Thatch and Marco jumped onto the ship and looked around. "Where's Ace?"

"With Luffy," Sabo replied.

"Strawhat Luffy?" Marco asked.

"The same," Sabo gave a smile.

"How do you know him?" Marco asked.

"Your crew doesn't know either?" Robin asked in amusement.

Sabo just smiled.

Sanji huffed, a cloud of cigarette smoke escaping his mouth. "Apparently, these guys are the big brothers of our shitty captain."

"What?!" Marco and Thatch gaped. "How could you not tell us this?!"

"Does this have something to do with all that stolen booze?" Thatch asked.

Sabo grinned. "It was Luffy's first bounty poster! What were we supposed to do? Not celebrate?"

"A little brother," Marco put a hand to his forehead. "I would have never guessed."

"Wait, so why was your brother screaming for you?" Thatch asked worriedly.

Sabo's grinned dimmed slightly. "He's like Ace, a ghoul, and his crew didn't know until only a few minutes ago. He was hungry and felt trapped. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but at the same time..."

Thatch nodded in understanding.

"Unlike Ace though," Sabo continued. "He's a full ghoul, not half like Ace."

"Is that why Ace-san only has one ghoul eye?" Brook asked.

"Yes," Sabo nodded. "Ace has what most consider "daddy issues," and his mother was human."

"Does this mean Dragon is a ghoul?" Robin asked. "He is Luffy's father, after all."

"But that would mean Garp is a ghoul!" Usopp shouted in fear.

Sabo chuckled. "Yes, to both of those. Of course, they are both like Luffy, opting to eat fresh corpses or criminals if they must."

"That explains the strength," Chopper said, referring to Garp.

"Oh no," Sabo shook his finger at the reindeer. "That's all human right there."

"EH?!" Chopper, Usopp, and Nami cried.

Sabo chuckled. "I don't think Gramps uses his ghoul strength on people. I don't think he ever will. It might be a test of whether or not he can become stronger on his own."

"We're back!" A loud voice cried, and the Strawhats were relieved to see that it was Luffy, a wide smile on his face and brown eyes back to normal, Ace at his side.

Luffy stretched his arm and grabbed the mast, swinging himself onto the ship rather brutally.

"Are you okay now, Luffy?" Chopper asked.

Luffy smiled at his doctor and laughed, pulling the small reindeer into a hug. "I'm fine, Chopper!"

"Suggestion," Ace put up a finger. "I hope that if this were to happen next time, and you insist to have someone with him, Brook, Franky, or Chopper will do just fine."

Robin smiled, already understanding. "Ah."

"And why's that?" Zoro asked.

"Brook has no flesh on him, only bones. That is not considered food to ghouls. Franky barely has a piece of human flesh on him. Most of it's metal. Chopper is a reindeer, and that means he's made of animal meat, not human," Luffy explained, still holding his doctor. "I can smell them, but it's not scents that make me hungry."

"But can't you still smell us?" Usopp asked.

Sabo chuckled. "Of course he can! It's mostly like when you smell something good, but your already full, so it doesn't make you hungry."

"Zoro smells like limes and mints," Luffy piped up.

"So that's what I'm smelling!" Ace said.

"Nami smells like tangerines and spice, Usopp smells like chocolate and cinnamon, Sanji smells like lemons and powdered sugar, and Robin smells like lavender and vanilla," Luffy said. "Franky smells like oil and rust and Brook smells like sea salt and maybe the oncoming of a storm, which is kind of an odd scent but not bad. Chopper smells like medicine and cherry blossoms, which I'm guessing is an effect from his Devil Fruit because animal meat doesn't usually smell so good."

"Limes and mints," Zoro murmured.

Luffy blushed. "It smelled good, and I was hungry!"

The crew simply smiled at him.

Maybe it was all going to be okay.

* * *

* * *

**Bonus Scene: Shanks and Luffy**

"Anchor, why would you eat that?" Shanks shouted.

Luffy stared in horror. He'd eaten a Devil Fruit. He'd eaten a Devil Fruit because of his paranoia, because of his fear. And now he was even more of a monster than before.

The bitter fruit felt sickening in his stomach. Bile rose in his throat.

Luffy ran.

* * *

Shanks watched with a heavy heart as little Luffy's face went from confused to horrified before he ran out of the bar doors.

"Captain..." Yasopp said.

"I know," Shanks said, and he was already running after the kid.

* * *

Luffy didn't know where he was going, only that he wanted to be as far away from Shanks as possible.

He stopped after he'd run far enough into the forest before falling to his knees and throwing up, not even needing to press down on his throat with his fingers.

He sobbed, his stomach tightening, and he thinks he knows what it feels like to be stabbed with knives for once.

After all of the bile was gone, Luffy breathed heavily on the ground, too sick to move.

Until he felt his eyes turn and hunger rumble in his gut.

He whimpered, clutching his mouth. "Dammit, fuck...Fuck!"

"Luffy? Luffy, I'm sorry for yelling. I'm just worried. Are you okay?" Shanks's voice reached his ears.

Luffy tried not to let another sob rip from his throat and ignored the smell of strawberries and salty air.

He scrambled up from the ground, stumbling a moment before righting himself and sprinting as far away as he could from the pirate.

Unfortunately, Shanks was more observant that people took him for and heard the noise. "Anchor?"

His eyes caught a blur of white and blue with a black mop atop its head running away. "Luffy!"

Shanks was thankful for his speed as he caught up with the boy quickly enough. He grabbed the boy's shoulder. "Luffy!"

The boy ripped himself from Shanks's grip, tumbling to the ground. He observed the kid's shut eyes. "Leave me alone, Shanks!"

"Look, Luffy, having a Devil Fruit isn't that bad. I know people who have them, and a lot of them are the strongest pirates I know!" Shanks noticed no reaction from the younger. "Anchor?"

He noticed tears start to fall from the closed eyes, but why were they tinted red? "Luffy?"

"Shanks..." Luffy muttered. "Go away..."

"Luffy-"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Luffy screeched, and suddenly Shanks was thrown against a tree with such force it cracked and toppled.

Shanks blinked as he watched four red tentacles sway behind Luffy's back, no doubt attached to him. The pirate knew that this was no effect from the Devil Fruit.

The boy looked up at him, and Shanks caught sight of black and red eyes, not the normal warm brown. "Luffy?"

The boy's lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin, and as a red limb lunged toward him, the captain knew that his Anchor wasn't there anymore.

Shanks dodged and cursed himself for not bringing a weapon.

Three more bloody tentacles sprang forward, and Shanks leapt out of the way.

"Anchor! Anchor, I don't know what's going on, but listen to me! You need to stop!" Shanks barked.

Luffy jerked a moment before shaking his head and attacking again.

Shanks cursed. It had almost worked!

"Luffy! Stop!" But the second Shanks had taken to call out to the boy gave him enough time to swipe a sharp blood red appendage down across the man's arm.

Blood flew and blackness took Shanks's vision.

* * *

Shanks blearily blinked his eyes open as he looked at the sky. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his arm made him wince.

He looked down, expecting to see an injury attained on his left arm, but was very surprised when said left arm didn't seem to exist, a bandage messily wrapped around what was now a stump.

He remembered Luffy, blood, and...tentacles? for a moment before memories came crashing back.

Luffy had cut his arm off.

Shanks looked around only to see a small sleeping Luffy leaning on a large tree.

The Yonko stood up, ignoring the jabbing pain, and stepped over to the boy, bending down and nudging him. "Anchor? Luffy, wake up."

The boy stirred, mumbling something that sounded faintly like, "Five more minutes, Gramps," before blinking his once again brown eyes open, much to Shanks's relief.

Once Luffy's eyes set their sights on Shanks, the boy cried out, moving to the side and away from the tree, scuttling back farther from the pirate.

"Are you okay, Anchor?" Shanks asked, but the boy continued to stare at him.

"What kind of question is that?" The little boy cried out. "You remember, you have to! I cut your arm off! It's my fault!"

Shanks cocked his head to the side like a puppy. "I know you, Luffy. Whatever that was, it wasn't you."

"How can you not be angry?! Anybody else would be! Anybody else would have already had my head by now! Anybody else would have called me a monster!" Luffy screamed.

Shanks wrapped Luffy in a one-armed hug and sighed. "Well, I'm not anybody, am I? Of course, you could tell me what that was."

The child sniffled and pulled back, rubbing his eyes. "You've never heard the myth about ghouls?"

Shanks had, when he had been on his captain's ship as a teen. His captain had told the stories in light of ghouls, how some couldn't help it and didn't want to kill. Shanks knew most people portrayed them as evil, but he respected his old captain, and those stories were the ones that stuck with them.

"I have, but not the ones you're familiar with. My old captain saw ghouls as people, some were good and some were bad. It's not as if they could help it," Shanks said, and his eyes stung at the wide-eyed look Luffy gave him.

"I'm a ghoul. I...I was scared you'd find out, so I tried to eat something to look normal. It tasted really bad, but everything tastes bad. It's normal. I threw it up, and then I got hungry. I couldn't control it because I haven't eaten in a month. I'm sorry," Luffy apologized, tears springing to his eyes again.

Shanks remembered his captain, how he rarely ate in front of the crew, how he had made sure they were at a populated island at least once a month. Maybe his captain had been a ghoul, maybe that's why he painted ghouls in the light he had.

If that was the case, then Gol D. Roger had been right. Ghouls were ghouls, not monsters, and being human meant so much more.

"I don't care, Luffy. It's alright," Shanks assured the young ghoul.

Luffy looked up at his role model. "Please, don't tell Lucky Roo or Yasopp or Benn or any of them. I..."

"I don't think they'd look at you any differently, but if that's what you want, then I won't I object," Shanks said softly. "By the way, if I'm guessing correctly, my arm's in there, right?" He asked, poking Luffy's stomach.

Luffy squirmed, a frown on his face. "Well, yeah...but you smelled like strawberries and salty air! And I told you to go away!"

Shanks chuckled at that, and the child looked at him, bewildered. "Luffy, you crack me up!"

Luffy frowned. "What are you going to tell them then?"

"I'll tell them you got thrown into the ocean by a mountain bandit and when I jumped in to save you, a Sea King bit my arm off. Ignoring the pain, I swam you back to shore and bandaged myself up. How's that sound?"

Luffy's eyes sparkled. "Sounds badass!"

Shanks laughed. "Well, first, let's go get wet so that the story actually fits."

"Okay!"

Shanks stood up and started to walk away when Luffy spoke up again. "Hey, Shanks?"

Shanks looked back at the ghoul and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

A soft smile appeared on Luffy's face, a happy and hopeful light in his eyes. "Thank you."

Shanks smiled the same smile back. "No...Thank you, Luffy."

And both males walked towards the ocean, smiles on their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! I know some of the scenes were different from the anime/manga, but I changed them because of character development and the different situation they were in, such as Ace asking Whitebeard about Roger and then immediately walking away afterwards. 
> 
> If you didn't read it up at the top, Blackbeard was not a factor in this story, and I didn't want to deal with it. It would have thrown my whole idea for this story off track.
> 
> The bandits in the bonus scene also do not make an appearance for the sake of my plot.
> 
> Bye my doggies!


	12. Danny Phantom: Dream Is A Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if everything that had happened was a dream? What if Danny had been in a coma for a year after he'd gotten shocked by the portal? But what if it had all been because of Clockwork?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is only part one! Part two will be coming, and maybe a part three??

The beeping of monitors rung in Danny's ears, singing to him in an eerie way that made his heart skip a beat.

Blue eyes blinked open, dazed and blurry before focusing on a white ceiling that made the boy's head spin.

He sat up, blearily glancing at his surroundings before jumping slightly at the loud bang that sounded when the door swung open as nurses and doctors swarmed his vision.

"He's awake!" Yells of this phrase clouded his hearing, and something in his gut told him something was off.

Something was very, very wrong.

* * *

Danny couldn't believe what he was hearing as he stared at his parents, sister, and two best friends. "You...you're playing some sick joke on me, right? Because if it is one, it's not fucking funny!" The curse that left his mouth just showed his panic all the more.

"Honey, nobody's kidding," Maddie sighed sadly.

"You're telling me that I've been in a coma for a year? That...that everything that's happened was all some dream?!" Danny barked.

"It seems so, Danno," Jack said. "We were all so scared you weren't going to ever wake up!"

Danny turned to his friends, and Sam had tears in her eyes. "It was my fault. I encouraged it, and you paid the price. I'm...I'm a horrible friend."

Danny shook his head at her, even as he was screaming inside for someone, anyone, to help him because he didn't know what to do. "It wasn't your fault. I made the decision, whether someone encouraged me or not doesn't change that. I was curious anyways. I probably would have ended up hurt either way."

And slowly, Danny's eyes drifted shut. "I'm tired...'ood'ight," he mumbled, soothing blackness sucking him into its comforting embrace.

* * *

When Danny opened his eyes, he hadn't expected to see Clockwork. "No way..."

The Ghost of Time smiled. "Hello, Daniel. I know you're looking for answers."

"What's going on? If you're real and know me, then what happened couldn't have been a dream...right?" Danny pleaded.

The ghost sighed. "It is complicated, Daniel. To put it simply, yes, everything was a dream, but every ghost you met, every power you had and learned was all real."

"I-I don't get it," Danny said quietly.

"After you were shocked by the portal, I put you into a dream that you thought was reality so that you could train your powers, learn new ones, and understand life better along the way. I wanted you to mature and understand things better before you woke up so that panic wasn't an option when you discovered your powers. Of course, I had twisted a few things to make it easier on you," Clockwork explained.

"Such as what?" Danny asked.

"There are no other half ghosts, unfortunately. Vladimir Masters does exist, but he is completely human and not at all a half ghost, bitter and bent on revenge. I simply made it that way in the world I created for you, to help you deal with any loneliness that might have manifested if you were to discover your existence as the only one of your kind," Clockwork explained.

"I made him your enemy, your rival, so that you would learn your powers quicker, try to best your limits and reach above them. Danielle was also only made for loneliness. With the only other half ghost being evil, Danielle was to help balance that conflicting kinship you shared with Vladimir," he continued.

"The other changes had majorly to do with your ghost form."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Danny eyed the ghost wearily.

Clockwork gave a tired smile. "I did not want you to fear your ghost form or what you had become, so I managed to shift it into something that looked more human than any other ghost. In reality, your ghost form is very pale, sickly pale almost, and while your hair and eyes remain white and green, they have slight alterations to them as well. Your eyes are a sickening yellow-green that glows brightly, leaving no pupil or whites to see, much like mine. Sometimes, green smoke may seep from them, though it will do you no harm. Your hair is still white, but it seems to come off in wisps. Your hazmat suit is much like the one you had in the dream world, only with no logo to present. The edges of your boots and gloves come off in wisps much like your hair, but your belt seems to float around your hips, never really touching you but never falling off either. It also seems to bump into you when you move but always moves back to position if you pause for a moment. Your glow is not white, but the same color as your eyes," Clockwork described.

"I wanted to ease you into the form, but I hope you will be able to handle the sudden transition. I wish you luck, Daniel Fenton."

Clockwork was gone just as suddenly as he'd appeared.

* * *

The recent revelations made Danny dizzy, but he was determined to take it with stride.

A new, creepier ghost form, okay, fine.

A nice Vlad Masters, a little odd, but Danny could cope.

His friends and sister not knowing? That was something on a whole other level.

* * *

Danny was checked out of the hospital a week later, but his worries swirled around him mockingly.

His friends, his sister, and his parents had accepted him in the dream world, but that might have been simply to make him happy with acceptance from his family. What if they didn't accept him now? Besides, he looked more human than ghost in his ghost form before. Now, he looked like a proper ghost if Clockwork's description gave any indication.

Apparently, through the whole year Danny had been out of it, not a single ghost came out of the portal which his sister had told him with absolute conviction had worked. What if the ghosts he'd fought previously didn't even attack the town? No responsibilities was nice, but what would he do with his powers now? Prank his sister and sneak into the girls' locker room? That was childish after all he'd been through.

Danny did know one thing, though. He'd figure it out, and he'd adapt.

He always did.

* * *

Going back to school was the most awkward thing Danny had ever experienced as people gawked and stared at him in the halls. No doubt they all knew of the coma he'd been in previously.

As he walked into English, Lancer gave him a side glance. "It's good to see you back in working health, Daniel. I hope you're not thinking of slacking off."

Danny straightened. "No, Mr. Lancer." In his dream world, his grades had plummeted because of his almost full-time job. Now, he'd get a chance to prove himself to his parents, to his peers, to his teachers, and most of all...

To himself.

* * *

"You okay, Danny?" Tucker asked during lunch in concern, and Danny offered him a hesitant and tired smile.

"I'm fine. Just tired and...overwhelmed, you know?" He shrugged halfheartedly.

"Yeah, we understand," Sam nodded to him.

Danny studied Sam and wondered if she did really like him. The dream world could have twisted her feelings. He didn't know if he should ask, though, because if he did, she might say yes, and then he'd have to lie to the girl he considered his girlfriend, which made it that much worse.

He wouldn't be able to provide an honest relationship.

Unlike his dream world, his heart was slower than it should have been, as if he was on the verge of death, and he could stop it if he wanted to. His ghost form didn't have a heartbeat.

He'd been cold in his dream world, but not this cold. His skin was colder than ice due to his cold core, temperature well below the fifties. He'd avoided touch as much as possible, but he wouldn't be able to use his discomfort and newer surroundings as an excuse forever.

She'd practically be dating a dead corpse anyway.

Danny let out a breath and stared at Sam. "Hey, Sam?"

She looked up at him from her salad. "Yeah?"

"Be honest with me, okay? Please?" Danny pleaded lightly.

"Sure, okay," the female agreed.

All or nothing. "Do you like me? As in, more than friends?"

Tucker choked on his steak. "The oblivious one finally sees sense! How many volts did you get hit with, buddy?!"

Sam turned scarlet, violet eyes wide. "What...?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, I almost died and realized that, you know, you only live once, so I thought, well whatever and went for it. So, do you?"

Sam swallowed, eyes darting side to side. "Uh, yeah, kind of. Maybe a little."

"Or a lot," Tucker snickered.

Sam glared at him, but her blush seemed to be out of place and dialed down the threat it proposed.

Danny cocked his head like a puppy and couldn't bring himself to blush like Sam. After being together with her for a while, even if only in his dream world, his embarrassment over things such as this minimized almost entirely.

"Uh, Danny?" Both friends tried to get his attention.

"Are you going to answer?" The goth asked hesitantly.

"Mmh," Danny hummed. "Yeah, just a moment." He appeared to contemplate something, head cocked like a small puppy.

After a minute, his eyes swept over Sam, and he smiled. "Yeah, maybe a little." His smile was innocent, but his eyes sparked with something completely different.

"Maybe a little what?" Sam asked apprehensively.

He didn't answer, opting to stand up and lean over the table, connecting his lips with hers in a quick peck before settling down in his seat again.

Sam's cheeks lit up like night lights, but Danny seemed completely unaffected. "Is that an answer?"

"Screw it," Sam muttered and leaned over to kiss him.

Guilt tugged at Danny as he quickly caught his mistake. He'd been too selfish. He had to lie to her as his best friend already, but making her his girlfriend, dragging her into a relationship built on lies and mistrust? Unforgivable.

As her lips were centimeters away from his, he whispered to her, "You'll regret this."

She furrowed her brow, confused, and pulled away slightly. "You kissed _me_."

"I did," Danny nodded. "because I'm selfish. I want to warn you, that what you're doing is going to hurt. You kiss me, and you're going to get hurt. It'll break you."

Sam didn't understand, but she also didn't care. "Then break me."

And as her lips touched Danny's, he felt the knife in his heart dig and twist itself a little deeper.

* * *

He appeared behind the man, sweeping his feet out from under him and snatching the gun. "Get out of here, lady!" His voice echoed in the darkness, eerie and much too dangerous.

As the woman ran with a horrified expression, Danny turned his glowing gaze upon the gunman. The guy's eyes were wide and terrified. "Demon."

Danny furrowed his brow slightly, sad smile tilting his lips. Nobody ever knew what he was. "Then to Hell you go, I suppose."

He leapt into the man's chest, sinking deeper and deeper before finally standing up and walking to the nearest police station.

A confession was in order.

* * *

 

"This is getting way to creepy for my liking, dude," Tucker told them on Saturday as they watched the news in Danny's room. "Criminals get to the police station, confessing all of their crimes before suddenly gasping for breath, only to claim that some _creature_ forced them to do it, getting sent to a mental asylum after they refuse to admit it wasn't real. This is like, the sixth time already. It's getting freaky."

Danny pursed his lips, eyes glazed. "Yeah," he breathed. "freaky."

"Maybe it's some weird disease," Sam shrugged. "If it is, I sure as hell hope I don't catch it."

Danny chuckled abruptly because _he'd already caught it._

Sam's hand squeezed his, and the knife in his heart squelched farther downward, the chains constricting it, squeezing. At the same time, a feeling of safety and happiness washed over him. It was a bitter-sweet thing.

He swallowed and stared at his TV screen. Maybe he'd have to use a different method.

Sending people to mental asylums, criminals or not, just wasn't right.

* * *

Patrol, he needed to patrol, for thieves and burglars and rapists and killers.

But Sam and Tucker slept soundly next to him, and the risk of waking them up made his heart stop.

He laughed quietly at the bitter pun.

Delicately, he turned intangible, gently floating out of their arms that had been draped over him and started to float quietly to the window.

"Danny?"

He cursed quickly, dropping to the floor and making himself solid again. "Sam?"

The goth turned over, glancing at him and the window. "Where are you going? You live here," she chuckled at her own joke, but Danny found it hard to smile. Sam saw this. "Danny?" She frowned in the dark room.

Danny's eyes flitted back to the window. "Go back to sleep, Sammy," he murmured, shuffling over and kissing her forehead.

"Danny, where are you going?" Sam asked again in worry.

He chucked, but it sounded off. "What makes you think I'm going anywhere? You're fine, close your eyes."

Sam frowned. "Don't lie to me..."

Danny sighed. "I'm not."

Sam realized he hadn't lied to her, only twisting his way around her questions. "Answer me."

Danny hummed sadly. "I'm sorry, Sam."

Danny knew he couldn't make her go back to sleep or ignore him, so he made no attempt to sneak away, merely walking over to the window and sliding it open, ready to climb out.

"Danny," Sam pushed the comforters off of her frame, standing up and moving towards him.

Danny's eyes flicked worriedly over to his cocoa-skinned friend. "Don't wake Tuck, Sam."

Sam frowned, obviously knowing why he didn't want the boy to wake. "Danny Fenton, don't make me hit you. Don't lie to me. We've been best friends forever, and now I'm your girlfriend. Don't you trust me?"

"I told you, Sam," he snapped quietly, and she stepped back. "I told you that this was going to hurt. I told you that you were making a mistake kissing me. I kissed you because in a moment of weakness, I found myself giving in to what I wanted, but I realized too late that it wasn't fair to you. This relationship is built on mistrust and deceit, lies and half truths. I never wanted that for you, but you jumped anyway," he looked away sadly. "And I'm never going to be strong enough to catch you."

Sam swallowed heavily. "Just tell me where you're going, Danny."

Her boyfriend smiled sadly at her, stepping away from the window and towards her, brushing the hair away from her cheek gently and leaning down to press his forehead to hers. "I can't tell you that, Sam."

"Why not?" She asked quietly.

"Because I don't know anymore," he said and kissed her.

Out of habit, Sam closed her eyes, but a brush of wind flitted across her skin, and her eyes opened.

The window was still open.

And Danny was gone.

* * *

Patrol finished rather quickly for once, but Danny was already so done.

His throat tightened, and he rocketed above the clouds, making sure nobody that could be looking at the night sky would see him.

He let his guard drop, he let the tears fall, and he screamed in rage and sadness and guilt, letting loose crackling green lightening that lit the air around him.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered just before another scream ripped its way from his throat.

* * *

Sam and Tucker left the next morning, Danny there to wave them goodbye, even as he did his best to avoid eye contact with Sam.

He was sure his disappearing act only made her all the angrier, if not a bit suspicious.

As he shut the door and turned back to the living room, Jazz blocked the doorway. "Something's on your mind, little brother, and it has something to do with Sam. Relationship issues?"

Danny pushed his sister out of the way, a bitter laugh escaping him. "Something like that."

* * *

Sam wanted to know what was up with Danny.

Tucker wanted to know what was up with Danny.

Both were going to figure it out.

"Did we have to leave in the middle of the night, Sam?" Tucker whined as he snuck along in the darkness with her.

"Danny tried to leave around this time. If there's any chance we're going to catch him, now is our best chance," Sam said, eyes scanning the premises.

Tucker sighed, but continued to look around when something caught his eye. "Sam? Look," he pointed over to the corner of the building across the street.

Sam turned her head and saw a figure, barely visible, at the corner. It quickly sprinted away and behind the wall when it noticed them looking.

"Think it might be Danny?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure. I couldn't tell with all the shadows," Tucker replied.

"Let's go," Sam urged, already beginning to cross the street.

"Wait! Sam!" Tucker whispered loudly, footsteps behind her. "What if it's some crazy dude?"

"Quit being so paranoid, Tucker," Sam rolled her eyes. "It'll be fine."

Tucker shifted nervously, but followed Sam around the back of the building the shadow had disappeared to.

* * *

Danny hummed quietly to himself, a soft melody trilling in his head as he flew invisibly through the clouds on patrol, wind in his hair.

He heard whispers and looked down, swooping lower to reach below the clouds and see the streets.

His gaze fell onto two figures that he would know anywhere. "What the hell are Sam and Tucker doing?"

He watched as they scurried behind a building, melting into the shadows, and Danny panicked, flying down and following the duo.

He thanked his ghost powers for his night vision as he saw Sam and Tucker glance around in the back alley.

"Sam, this is usually the part where the unsuspecting victim gets attacked by a psycho killer," Tucker whimpered, glancing around. "It's way too cliché for my liking."

"Tucker, that's TV, not reality," Sam replied cooly. "Help me look to where he disappeared to!"

"What are we, detectives? I thought we were looking for Danny!" Tucker said, and Danny frowned. That explained a few things.

"What if that shadow was Danny?" Sam queried.

"I think if it was, he would have appeared by now. You know him, Sam, he'd never let us wander about out here alone if he could help it," Tucker told her.

Sam sighed, turning to face the teen. "But do we really know him?"

The knife twisted more, and he tried not to let the pain get to him.

"Sam..." Tucker trailed off uncertainly before Sam was suddenly grabbed, a hand wrapped around her mouth and knife at her throat.

Sam struggled, but froze when she felt cold metal at her jugular.

Tucker's eyes widened, and he cursed. "Shit."

"Give me all your damn money, or the slut's throat gets slit!" The man demanded, pressing the blade deeper.

"I-We don't have any money. We didn't bring anything except our clothes!" Tucker said feebly, trying to negotiate.

The man scowled. "Well, then I guess neither of you are any use to me." He pulled the blade back and prepared to slice.

"Sam!" Tucker yelled in fear, but Danny had already shaken off the sudden shock.

He flew forward, knocking the man away as the knife clattered to cement.

Sam dropped and quickly scrambled to stand next to Tucker.

In the midst of Danny's launch, he'd dropped the invisibility and focused on keeping the guy away from his friends.

"You're that thing the others were screeching about! They aren't crazy!" The man yelped, slightly hysterical.

Danny stalked forward, yellow-green eyes glowing as green smoke started to seep from them. His voice echoed eerily as it bounced along the alley's walls. "Or maybe you've gone insane, too. Any theories about that?"

He grabbed the man by his hoodie and lifted him up, slamming him into the brick wall. The guy's head hit it, and he passed out from a concussion.

Danny turned his head towards his two shaking friends.

* * *

Its hair was white, coming off in wisps and fizzling out in mid air, but its hair never seemed to disappear.

Its eyes were a sick green-yellow, no pupil or white showing as they glowed unnaturally, green smoke seeping out of the corners.

It wore a black hazmat suit, white gloves and boots like his hair, wisps flowing off at the edges. The white belt seemed to float around his hips, but when he moved, it bumped him. It was as if it couldn't float up or down, but merely stayed at a certain height around the thing's waist.

Its skin was a sickly pale, only a few shades darker than paper, and its voice echoed with no help all on its own, making the thing sound creepy and eerie, no matter the tone.

Its whole form glowed the same color as its eyes, unnatural and not human.

It stared at them for a while before speaking quietly. "Cops...?" The word was hesitant, soft, as if it didn't know if what it said had been correct or not.

Tucker had already pulled out his phone and dialed 911, telling them the location and what they 'found,' leaving the floating creature out of the explanation.

When he clicked the device shut, the creature jerked the man again before dropping him to the ground in a heap and floating higher, as if preparing to leave.

"The guys...the criminals...they're not crazy, are they?" Sam asked cautiously.

The creature looked at her and slowly shook its head.

"What are you?" She asked, and Tucker kicked Sam, glaring at her.

The creature's lips curled into a small, hesitant smile. "Ghost."

"What's your name?"

It frowned. "Name?"

Sam nodded.

It cocked its head, and both teens tried to figure out where they'd seen the movement before. "Phantom."

Then, he was gone.

* * *

Danny couldn't believe what he just did!

He let his two best friends see him, and even worse, had spoken to them!

"Idiot!" He mumbled angrily to himself, pulling at a few strands of raven hair on his head.

Surely it was already agitating enough to speak to them and not let his secret slip, but now that they'd seen him?!

Utter doom. He was doomed.

* * *

He avoided them on the sidewalk.

He avoided them on the streets.

He avoided them at home.

He avoided them at the Nasty Burger.

He avoided them at school.

He tried to avoid them everywhere he went, but it was difficult. He was worried he'd lose his friends, lose Sam, all because he was too scared, a coward.

The looks they sent him made his stomach twist.

"I'm sorry, Clockwork," he murmured to himself quietly, staring at the sky in a haze. "I know you tried to prepare me, to help me, but Sam and Tucker don't know, Jazz doesn't know...Hell, maybe Vlad knowing would have been a comfort. But he doesn't. And I think I'm slowly losing my mind..."

* * *

"Intervention time!" Jazz announced as she stood on Sam's front doorstep, staring at the two friends inside the doorway.

"Jazz, what are you doing here?" Tucker asked.

"I'm sure you've seen how off Danny is, and I'd be a horrible sister, not to mention psychologist, if I hadn't noticed either. It's time we sat my brother down and had a heart to heart talk," Jazz said confidently.

"Jazz," Sam began slowly. "I'm not sure that's going to work so well. Sure, he's been off lately, but he's still Danny, which means he's still stubborn."

Jazz put a hand on her hip. "Fentons are known for their stubbornness, Sam. I happen to be one, much like my younger sibling. I've got plenty of fire in me, ready to charge head on, if that's what it takes to get through to Danny."

Sam and Tucker glanced at each other then back at the oldest Fenton daughter.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Sam grinned.

"Here, here," Tucker smiled.

* * *

Danny cursed under his breath, typing rapidly in his parent's lab on the computer.

Thankfully, his parents had headed out a few hours prior, and Jazz had left for the library. He was alone, which meant plenty of time for him to hack his parents' database of ghosts.

The lab computers had so many firewalls on them, it was surprising his parents were even able to get through them, despite it being them who had installed them in the first place.

Fortunately, hacking his parents' equipment and computers in his dream world with Tucker had given him the ability to remember the basics, helping him get through the security quicker.

With all the firewalls, the info he collected of ghosts he'd met in the Ghost Zone would be protected and safe from anyone who tried to access it.

Including his mom and dad.

Danny paused for a moment, sighing and slamming his head on the desk, arms beside his head. Everything was already overwhelming him, and he was so very tired.

He glanced up as the words "Access Granted" flashed on screen. Danny grinned slightly. "A small victory, finally. Score one, me. Score zero, my luck."

Suddenly, the alarm went off, signaling whoever was in the house of a hacker trying to access info. Danny groaned in agony, rushing to turn it off. "Never mind."

* * *

After spending a few minutes waiting for Tucker to hack the cameras in the lab, the three watched Danny attempt to hack the lab computers.

"What would Danny need on there?" Sam asked.

Jazz furrowed her brow. "No idea."

"I'm wondering how Danny even managed to hack the thing. It takes me a little while to hack your family's equipment, so him doing it in such little time is weird," Tucker frowned.

They watched "Access Granted" flash on the screen of the computer and Danny grin, saying something about a small victory and scores before cursing under his breath when the alarm went off.

"Think it's time to approach him?" Sam asked.

"Probably. He's cornered in the lab, so it's our best chance," Tucker answered.

Jazz nodded.

* * *

Danny was already starting to go through the files when footsteps echoed down the lab stairs behind him.

Danny jumped, swinging around in a sudden panic. Before he could attempt to go invisible, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker came into view.

Danny laughed nervously, trying (and failing) to look calm and relieved. "Oh, it's just you guys. I thought you were Mom and Dad."

"Danny, why are you hacking Mom and Dad's computers?" Jazz asked curiously.

Danny shifted. "Mom...put something personal of mine on here. I want it deleted."

Danny cursed himself, as he was usually a much better liar than this. It came with the territory, double life and all. Unfortunately, his brain was half dead (oh, the puns), and part of him hoped they'd figure out his secret while the other half conflicted with this and told him that they'd only get hurt or fear him.

"You never were a great liar, Danny," Tucker shook his head.

Danny accidentally let a bitter smile slip onto his face. "The irony in that statement is so funny, it physically hurts." And it literally did. He was busted. Not completely, but enough for him to panic slightly.

They frowned for a brief moment, concern flickering across their faces before smoothing out.

"Tell me the truth, Danny," Jazz said.

Danny felt his lips curl as he turned back to the computer and berated himself. He shouldn't take his anger out on his sister or his friends. They were only concerned for his mental health. He could understand why. He didn't deny that he wasn't acting very...stable lately.

Of course, the lack of sleep and comfort pushed him to the edge. He was slowly losing it, slowly tipping over. Danny couldn't stop the words that slipped. "Why don't you mind your own business, and get your nose out of mine, huh? It's none of your concern, none of it. Back off."

The three stood still, shocked by his remark. He turned to face them, eyes narrowed. "Surprised? It should be expected, after how much all of you butt into my business. I've been ignoring everyone for weeks, so don't act like you care now. I don't give a crap about any of you. Leave me alone, and all of us can move on with our lives."

None of what was spewing from his mouth was true, none of it. But he wanted to get them out of his problems before they could dig themselves deeper into the hole he was always stuck in. They could still climb out if he was strong enough to push them up.

Sam glared, stepping forward. "That bullcrap won't work on us, Danny. Quit acting tough. We know you. _I_ know you!"

Danny snapped. "If I recall correctly, you were the one questioning whether you really knew me or not a few weeks ago behind that stupid building! Don't contradict yourself!"

Sam opened her mouth to snap back but stopped. "How do you know about that?"

Danny swallowed, jaw clenching and lips sealing shut.

Tucker stepped forward, a sudden rush of bravery and daft impulsiveness flooding his veins. "Danny, how do you know about that?"

Danny twitched, fingers itching to grab something, anything, and twirl it between his digits in an attempt to cope. His hand found a small screwdriver next to the ectoguns and pulled it to him, fingers busying themselves with the object.

"Danny!" Jazz barked in a unexpected burst of annoyance.

Ectoplasm flared in Danny's veins, fueling his eyes. "Quit speaking to me like I'm a child!"

Immediately, Danny knew his eyes were burning brightly. He clamped down on his emotions, shutting his eyes to let the glow die down. Regret filled him. They surely saw that.

Danny should have expected it, the sudden whir of a gun, the glowing light piercing his eyes, blinding him slightly.

A loaded ectogun held by one Sam Manson was aimed at his forehead.

"Get out of Danny, ghost," Sam spat angrily.

Danny winced, hurt spreading through him. He knew, deep down, that she was only worried, but it didn't change the fact that she had spat the word "ghost" as if it were a slur for an abomination.

"Look, Sam, put the gun down. We can talk about this," Danny tried to calm his girlfriend down, hands up and taking slow steps towards her.

Sam stood strong. "This gun only hurts ghosts. If you're Danny, it won't hurt you. If you're not..." The meaning was clear.

Danny didn't let this get to him. It was only an ectogun, after all. Something that could hurt him, yes, but nothing he wasn't already used to.

"It's me, Sam. It's Danny. We can talk about this. Just set the gun down and breathe," Danny suggested lightly.

Sam tightened her hold. "You're too worried...You know it's going to hurt you."

"Sam," Jazz replied uneasily. "What if...what if it is Danny, and it hurts him? Mom and Dad's inventions don't always work the first time, and this is a newer model."

Sam's resolve weakened for a second. "I don't..."

Danny felt hope rise in his chest. He could use this. "Sam, please. Just trust me."

Sam jerked, the gun that had been dropping to her side aimed at his head once again. "Trust you? You've been lying, sneaking around, and deceiving everyone around you since you woke up! Maybe you're not Danny. Maybe you're some ghost possessing his dead corpse."

Danny frowned, head dropping a bit. "Sam..."

"Don't call me that!" Sam shrieked.

"Hey, calm down, Sam," Tucker advised nervously. The glance he sent to the black-haired male had Danny cringing.

"His eyes flashed, Tucker. Radioactive and inhuman and sickeningly yellow-green!" Sam barked.

Danny gulped. "Please, Sam, please...I'm sorry I avoided you guys, I'm sorry I lied, but you can't be angry at me."

"Why the hell not?!" Sam raged. "You lied to us, to me, and I'm not allowed to be angry!?"

The rage and emotions that had been building overflowed and burst. "No, you're not! I told you this would hurt! I told you you shouldn't have kissed me, shouldn't have gotten involved with me! You said you didn't care! You jumped in without looking back, and that's not my fault! You took the risk, Sam, and you knew the consequences! I thought you would be mature enough to accept those consequences! But you're obviously not!"

"So, no," Danny hissed. "You're not allowed to be angry because I warned you, and you ignored me! This, all of this, the hurt, the lies, the deceit...it's your fault, not mine."

Sam quivered and dropped the gun in her hands. Danny rushed forward and snatched it, backing up and setting it behind him on the desk.

Tucker narrowed his eyes. "Danny would never say that, not to Sam, not to anyone he considered his friend. Even if it was true, he'd never want to hurt anybody he cared about."

Danny's limbs loosened, and he sighed sadly. "Then maybe I just don't care anymore."

"Bullshit!" Jazz cried suddenly and unexpectedly.

Danny turned his eyes away from them, focusing back on the screen. "Just...leave me alone."

"Not until you tell us what's going on. The eyes, the lying, the anger..." Jazz frowned. "What's going on?"

Danny laughed sadly. "You're never going to let this go, are you?"

Silence.

"Are you?!" He asked loudly, his tone tinged with hysteria.

"No," Tucker shook his head.

"Fine," the half ghost sighed quietly. "Fine, fine, fine! Who cares about what Danny wants? Who cares about what Danny thinks? Who ever cares?"

He turned around, eyes glowing brightly and smoke seeping from the sides of his eyes. "Does this answer your questions?"

"Phantom," Sam and Tucker breathed in shock.

Danny grinned bitterly. "Oh, yes, Phantom. How's it feel to know your best friend's dead?"

The atmosphere was thick and tense. Nobody could move.

"You can't be dead," Tucker shook his head in denial.

"Oh?" Danny cocked his head, eyes still glowing a sick yellow-green that made the innocent reply too disturbing. "And why not?" He reached forward, grasping the techno geek's brown hand with his own for once since he'd woken from his coma. "You can feel it, can't you? I'm too cold to be alive, like a walking corpse."

Tucker snatched his hand away reflexively and backed up. "Dude..."

Danny laughed, letting his hand drop. "You can't even touch me without being scared. You can barely speak. You can't accept it."

Danny dropped the smile, laughter stopping abruptly. "You can put your hand on my chest. My heart doesn't beat."

But it did. Slowly, so slowly he could have been hanging on to the tiniest thread of life, but it did. He could stop it, true, but it beat the rest of the time all the same.

He was revealing his biggest secret to them, but lies still slipped out. It was pathetic.

Jazz put a shaky hand to her mouth. "Danny..."

"Tell me," Danny began quietly. "what it feels like to be warm. I can't remember it anymore."

And he couldn't. This was, thankfully, very true. Even in his dream world, his ice powers made it impossible for him to be warm. The cold didn't bother him, he barely noticed it. He felt normal. But he would never feel _warm_.

Tears gathered in their eyes. "Danny," Sam murmured.

Danny smiled lightly. "But you can't, can you? It's hard to describe, isn't it? It wouldn't matter anyways, though. I can never experience it again."

"Your heart beats," Jazz replied softly.

Danny paused. "Excuse me?"

"Your heart beats, Danny. Two nights ago, I was worried; so, I came to check on you. I knelt beside you and wanted to know you were there and still alive. I put my hand on your chest. You stirred but didn't wake. I could feel your heart beat. I thought I had imagined it, but now that I know the truth, it had been slow, too slow for you to be living but too fast for you to be dead either," Jazz's lips quivered. "I don't know what you are, little brother, but it isn't dead. Yet it's not alive either."

Danny stared at the three closely before sighing. "And if I could be both?"

Jazz locked eyes with him. "Then I believe it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...this is it for part one. I know it's a weird place to end, but this is as far as my idea had progressed. 
> 
> If anyone wants to make a story out of it, go ahead. Just make sure to credit me for the idea.
> 
> Bye my doggies!


	13. Tokyo Ghoul/One Piece: Limes and Mints - Omake of YAWYE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Luffy had given in to his cravings on the ship when Zoro entered his room?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another way You Are What You Eat could have gone!

As Zoro put Luffy's head to his shoulder in attempt to soothe the captain, it only made Luffy panic.

Sadly, he wasn't strong enough to fight it, and he hated himself for what he was about to do with no consent.

"Zoro," Luffy whimpered in distress.

"It's okay, Luffy," Zoro said softly, not completely understanding why his captain was so traumatized but willing to help him through it anyway.

"I'm sorry," Luffy cried again.

"For what?" Zoro asked as gently as he could because Luffy was fragile right now, and the swordsman was terrified of breaking him.

"You smell like limes and mints," Luffy said with such guilt and anguish that it made Zoro's head spin.

"What-?" He didn't get to finish as a searing pain flashed down his shoulder, the nerves beginning to be pierced.

Zoro gasped and looked down and to the side slightly, only to see Luffy with his head on Zoro's shoulder, hat knocked off and bangs obscuring his eyes.

One thing was perfectly clear though.

Luffy had just sunk his teeth into the first mate's shoulder, and why did the teeth feel sharper than they should be?

"Luffy..." Zoro choked because somehow, this hurt worse than getting slashed across the chest by Mihawk or stabbed in the gut by Buggy. It hurt worse than when he'd taken Luffy's pain after Moriah.

Maybe it was because something was wrong with the way Luffy was biting him, or maybe it was because one of his allies, his friends, _his captain_ , was the one inflicting the pain.

Zoro didn't know.

He could see blood seeping into his shirt, staining it darkly. Even as Luffy chewed desperately on his shoulder, the cries and tears and whimpers never quieted or disappeared. Small mumbled mantras of "I'm sorry, I'm a monster, so good," escaped the captain's mouth despite it being busy with Zoro's shoulder.

He felt flesh being peeled away from his body, and it was a sensation that was painful and so, so very weird that it made Zoro choke again.

"Luffy, what're you-"

"So hungry, Zoro," Luffy murmured against his bloodied and torn shoulder. "Smells like limes and mints, delicious..."

Luffy pulled away slightly, and the green-haired male felt slightly sick when he came face to face with his captain chewing on something red and peach, of what was definitely the remains of his shoulder.

He watched his captain swallow it, licking his lips and smearing blood onto them before suddenly jerking, scrambling backwards with such speed it gave Zoro whiplash.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Luffy chanted in horror, staring in fear at Zoro's torn skin.

Zoro stared at Luffy, black and red orbs meeting brown. There was no doubt about it. His captain was a ghoul.

A flesh-eating beast in the horror stories adults tell their children.

But Luffy was no beast.

He was a pirate, he was a friend, he was an ally, he was strong, he was kind, he was brave, he was reckless, he was sometimes naive, he was oblivious, he was happy, he was his captain, he was...

Luffy. Just Luffy.

And to Zoro, that's all he ever would be. And in his eyes, the rubber boy didn't need to be anything else.

"It'll heal," Zoro found himself saying.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want-" Luffy paused, fear and guilt still waging war in the boy's eyes.

"I didn't listen. It doesn't matter anyway. I would have come in here regardless." And he would have. That was a promise.

Luffy let out a choked sob. "I hurt Zoro."

Zoro smiled. "You helped me understand."

And finally, Zoro could understand his captain once more. Zoro felt complete again, in his rightful place.

"You smell like limes and mints," Luffy muttered quietly, as if this fact had some utter importance to it that was impervious to Zoro.

"Limes and mints," Zoro repeated.

"A lot of people aren't fond of them," Luffy started quietly. "But certain people can develop a taste for them. Or maybe they always liked them."

Zoro understood. His scent, just like his personality, reflected him in every way that was Zoro.

"I like limes and mints," Luffy said with a resigned tone.

"I'm glad," Zoro told his captain, and when Luffy looked up, Zoro smiled again.

Luffy smiled back.

* * *

In this timeline, Sabo and Ace never met up with the Strawhats.

Ace and Sabo never came to Luffy's aid.

Ace and Sabo never saw Luffy's ship before they left the island.

The crew never found out about Ace and Sabo's connection to their captain.

Luffy never ended up having Ace and Sabo there to help him.

But this time, Luffy had Zoro. And Luffy knows this is enough.

Because Zoro is limes and mints, and Luffy loves limes and mints.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was such a joy to write! I get into depth with Zoro and Luffy's relationship. 
> 
> And no, this is not slash. It was merely platonic friendly bonding.
> 
> I did not do a crew reveal simply because the results of the reveal in YAWYE would be the same as this one. Their reactions wouldn't change just because Ace and Sabo weren't present.
> 
> Hope you like this! Bye my doggies!


	14. Danny Phantom: Dream Is A Reality - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if everything that had happened was a dream? What if Danny had been in a coma for a year after he'd gotten shocked by the portal? But what if it had all been because of Clockwork?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got more plot idea for this one shot and decided to add on to it! If you haven't read the first part, I highly recommend it!

Danny said nothing of the incident after that. He'd stared at them for a few more seconds before heading up to his room and locking himself inside.

He had school the next day. So did Sam and Tucker.

He waited later than normal. He didn't have the stomach to walk with his friends to school that day, not when he was keeping secrets, and they knew.

He fidgeted nervously and pushed open the doors, but thankfully, nobody paid much attention to him.

Except the goth and techno geek standing down the hall by his locker.

Danny swallowed and took slow steps forward, head bowed and trepidation in his gut.

When he reached his locker, he didn't speak nor did he look up. He fumbled with his lock, desperate not to make eye contact and flung it open with more force than necessary, causing the hinges to snap and the door to fall to the tile.

Students jumped at the loud bang that echoed in the hallways and glanced at the Freak Trio.

Sam and Tucker stared wide-eyed, along with the rest of the student body.

Danny took a deep breath that was only out of habit and laughed nervously. "Geez, these guys need to fix the lockers. I mean, that's just dangerous."

No eyes dropped away, and Danny shuffled anxiously. Damn him and his fate to draw attention!

Danny glared at the floor, and ignoring the foreign and familiar eyes drilling into him, he grabbed his stuff and stomped away.

Sam was the first to snap out of it. "Danny!" She cried, rushing to go after him.

Tucker blinked and glanced at the locker door Danny had _torn_ _off_. He frowned and scurried after his two friends.

Nobody followed.

* * *

Danny was done. He didn't even make it halfway to Lancer's class before he abruptly dropped his books to the floor and fled to the male bathrooms, Sam and Tucker quickly trailing after him.

"Danny, stop!" Sam begged.

"Come on, dude! Just talk to us!" Tucker said desperately.

Danny ignored them, a buzzing noise filling the void of silence in his head.

He barged into the bathroom, leaning heavily on the first sink and taking deep breaths.

Tucker followed before Sam did, but she came to, despite that females weren't allowed.

"Danny..." Sam said softly.

Danny didn't answer, merely breathing harshly as if it would relieve whatever pain he felt in his chest. His knuckles turned white to camouflage with the sink as he clutched it in a death grip.

He gritted his teeth and looked up, staring at his reflection with a sneer.

"Danny?" Tucker asked wearily.

Danny didn't even think about what he was doing. On impulse, his hand came up, formed into a fist, and pulsated with a green glow. He snarled before reeling back and smashing the mirror.

The loud shatter had both humans flinching whereas Danny hadn't budged.

Of course, not only was the mirror beyond repair, but the wall had been smashed halfway through, too. Some glass shards seemed to be partly melted and others cold or frozen, as contradictory as it seemed.

Danny's friends gulped, staring at the damage Danny had done while barely trying.

Suddenly, the quietest chuckle sounded in the bathroom.

Sam and Tucker stared at Danny, watching as the bangs that had curtained his eyes shifted away as he, too, lifted his head.

His smile was sharp, sad, and all around hurt. He threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound sending shivers down their spines.

"I know where the freak is at," he muttered. "I've got something to show you. It's right in front of you..."

Sam and Tucked glanced at each other nervously. "Danny, man, seriously, calm down," Tucker advised gently.

Danny chuckled ominously, and a chill filled the room. "Calm down? I'm such...a FuCkinG...SCREWUP!" He screeched, and lights flickered.

His hands sparked, and a light bulb burst, shards raining down. "They all stared at me. YOU GUYS...stared at me. I'm like a circus clown, some freak in a zoo to be gazed at and teased and poked like an animal. They all saw me rip that stupid door off...they wanted to see some freak...but all their going to get is some kind of...monster..."

"Danny, that's not true," Sam objected. "You're not a freak, not monster, and you're not a display."

"Then why do I feel differently?" Danny sighed bitterly. "Ever since I woke up, my life's gone to shit, even if it was never much of a "life" anyway. I thought that maybe...when I woke up, things would be okay. You guys wouldn't judge me for my powers, I'd continue about my normal life, and it'd all be fine. I hoped, at least. But shit just never goes your way when you're me, huh? It always backfires."

"Why do you talk like...like you knew about your powers when you were in your coma?" Tucker asked.

Danny chuckled sadly. "Because I did. You really think I would have as much control as I do without knowing? A year passed by while I trained and developed my powers in a dream world where I became stronger. I still feel grateful to Clockwork for that..."

"Control?" Tucker smiled nervously. "Yeah, some control," he joked weakly.

"Who's Clockwork?" Sam asked.

Danny looked at her, ice blue eyes piercing and frozen, not an acid yellow-green... _yet_.

"Clockwork is a ghost. You can't honestly think I was the only one, mmh? He's a strong ghost, and most know him as Chronos, Father Time, Master of Time, blah, blah, blah. Most ghosts don't even know he exists, actually. I'm one of the few. He's my mentor, my friend, and I guess he became somewhat of a second father to me over time," Danny sighed and looked up. "Yes, I admit it. You can laugh at me later, but now is not the time."

Sam and Tucker were confused, but Danny cleared it up. "He can see everything. Different timelines, the past, present, and future. He's..." Danny laughed for a brief moment. "always watching. Kind of like Santa."

"He created a world for me, a world where you guys knew, Jazz knew, and I fought ghosts on a regular basis. It's very different here, in reality. Nobody knows, my ghost form looks a...bit different, and it doesn't seem like many of the ghosts are that hostile. Most would think I'd be relieved by this, and while I am, it doesn't help my obsession," Danny explained quietly.

"...obsession?" Tucker asked hesitantly.

"Obsession," Danny droned, as if he was ready to explain what it was on autopilot. "A ghost's reason for staying, for existing; unfinished business. Their whole world, their whole existence, revolves around their obsessions, no matter how trivial or dumb they may be to others. An obsession usually relates to a ghost's death or a regret when he or she was alive. For example, the Box Ghost is obsessed with boxes, but the reason is much more complex. His daughter gave him a gift for his birthday in a box, but he lost it, and ever since he died, he's been obsessed with finding it, such is his regret. Ember McClain is obsessed with attention and people knowing she exists. The reason for this is because she died a nobody, a person who was bullied and put down. She wanted to be famous, for people to look up to her and admire her, so in death, she used music to get attention, sometimes using mind control. She died in a fire, and her blue hair burns likes flames because of it."

Sam frowned. "Do you...have an obsession?"

"Yes," Danny replied blankly.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

Danny's eyes didn't stay his normal ice blue, but they didn't glow a sick green-yellow. They glowed a deep blood red.

Sam jerked and stepped back. "...Danny...?"

Danny hissed, anger swirling in blood pools. "Don't. Ever. Ask. Me. That. Again."

His lips curled. "A ghost's obsession is their greatest strength, but also their greatest weakness. It can be used to give the ghost more power, make them stronger, but it can also be used as a weapon, something that can destroy them and hurt them if exploited to the wrong individual. You practically asked me to strip and let you do whatever you pleased with me."

Sam and Tucker flushed, but Sam felt angry at herself. "I'm...Danny, I didn't know. I'm sorry..."

The red faded from his eyes, replaced by an ice blue. "Yeah, I know. That doesn't ease my turmoil much, though."

Sam nodded guiltily, already expecting that.

"Maybe," Danny whispered. "Maybe one day, I'll tell you."

' _Trust_ ,' both teens realized. ' _He's telling us that one day, if we work hard enough, he'll be able to trust us again_.'

The two took the challenge in silent stride.

The bell rang loudly, and all three teens jumped.

"Greetings, Satan," Danny muttered. "The name's Danny. I have yet to meet your children, but I'm sure they'd be a lot nicer than you."

Sam and Tucker laughed.

* * *

 

A loud slam of metal echoed in the halls, a large meaty hand slapping the locker door next to Danny's head.

"Hey, Fenturd. I just got a D on my English test, so I decided it's time for a little stress relief," Dash Baxter smirked.

Completely out of character, Danny whipped around and glared. "Look, Dash. I don't have anything personal against you, despite what many may believe, but I don't have time for you right now. I'm tired, I'm stressed, I'm pissed off, and frankly, just plain done. So, I recommend that you scurry along back to your little A-List group, and Leave. Me. Alone."

The school stared in shock. Even Sam and Tucker were a bit surprised.

Dash turned red. "Finally got a backbone, huh, Fenton? Well, it doesn't matter. I'm gonna beat you to a pulp anyway."

Danny sighed heavily. "Dash, I'm serious."

Dash smirked. "So am I."

The blonde swung his fist forward, but Danny made no move to dodge. He wasn't going to fight the guy. He'd let the bully have his fun.

It landed on its target, straight into Danny's nose. Danny recoiled into the lockers, but didn't flinch. Dash took a few more swings and got the same results.

Dash growled and grabbed Danny's head, slamming him against the lockers more violently that he'd ever been.

Danny merely closed his eyes as his skull was bashed brutally into the lockers.

"Dash, what the hell?!" Sam screamed, trying to stop the blonde but doing no good.

"Stop!" Tucker cried, clutching his PDA.

After a good full minute, the bashing stopped, and Danny stepped away from the rows of lockers. He turned around and faced Dash, opening his eyes as he did so. No pain shined in his eyes, no strain in his expression. The only sight that he was injured was the blood running down his forehead and nose, bruises decorating his forehead.

"Are you done yet?" Danny asked calmly, arms crossed impatiently.

Dash didn't answer, staring at the small teen and gaping.

Danny sighed in exasperation (he was sighing a lot lately) and picked up his backpack, trailing out of the school doors, his friends following.

* * *

Danny stood in the middle of his two best friends, the closed door of his sister's bedroom behind him and his sister herself in front of them. He almost felt caged.

_There's a lot of things I want to say_

_A lot of things I've wanted you to know_

_But I don't know how to_

_Let them out without breaking down_

_You're standing in front of me_

_I'm right in front of you_

_And even as I've braved over time_

_Please don't blame me if I want to cry_

_There's a lot of things you don't know_

_A lot of things I've wanted you to know_

_And now that I'm getting a chance_

_I'm breaking down_

"Danny?" Jazz asked gently. "Are you ready to talk?"

_I want to lay down_

_On the hill looking at the stars_

_Thinking about my childhood_

_Remembering when everything was okay_

_I want to lay down_

_And close my eyes_

_I'm not sure_

_I'll ever want to open them again_

_If I had the chance_

_To be free from everything_

_Would you let me go?_

_Like I've begged you to for all these years_

"Yes," Danny nodded.

_But I hear your voice in my head_

_Telling me it'll get better_

_And I'm telling you_

_I'm just not ready yet_

_People are pushing me too far_

_Mom and Dad aren't here_

_My best friends don't know me anymore_

_And you're just trying to help_

_But I just want to give up_

_Because it's easier to fall than stand_

Jazz smiled and sat down on her mattress. "You're my little brother, Danny. Just know that I'll always be here for you."

_There's a ringing in my head_

_Telling me I need to get up_

_Telling me it's okay to shatter_

_But everyone needs to stand eventually_

_Everyone needs to learn_

_Life isn't easy_

_All my years_

_I've been shielded from tears_

_But today I know_

_It's time for me to go_

_I'm not ready yet_

_I've lived too sheltered for far too long_

_But today I realize_

_I'm on my own_

And Danny explained. He told her of his accident, of Clockwork, of his dream world and all.

_It's been so long since I've seen_

_Any piece of innocence inside of me_

_But I've grown up_

_And it's time to understand_

_That life isn't fairytales and fantasies_

_There's no magical guardians_

_No Prince Charming and happily ever afters_

_Because right now_

_I'm on my own_

_Life gets rough_

_As each second passes by_

_But I'm standing tall_

_For you and I_

_Once and for all_

_I wanted to break down_

_I wanted to fall to the ground_

_Because I wasn't ready_

_But I'm stronger now_

His sister smiled and pulled him into a tight hug. "Danny, there's nothing in any world that would make me love you less. We'll help you, I'll help you. That's what family's for, right?"

_I'm not ready_

_To say goodbye_

_But I can't go on_

_With a heavy heart_

_Fear and trepidation_

_Urge me on_

_I hold your hand_

_As I lie on my death bed_

_You say your final prayers_

_I whisper my last words_

_And as my heart beat slows_

_I know that all along_

_I wasn't ready_

_To say goodbye_

_To all the love that you gave me_

_The sleepless nights_

_The darkened skies_

_The rainy days_

_And the sunny afternoons_

_I wasn't ready_

_To say goodbye_

_To all the love that you gave me_

_All the kisses on my forehead_

_All the warm hugs you offered_

_All the songs that you sang_

_And I wasn't ready_

_To say goodbye_

_To all the love that you gave me_

_That Heaven would never provide_

"Thank you," Danny smiled wetly. Things would be better. He'd be okay. They all would.

_And my heart beat slows_

_The monitor quiets_

_But I'm still able to look you in the eye_

_And tell you I love you_

_As my life slowly dies_

_I wasn't ready_

_To say goodbye_

_To all the love that you gave me_

_The sleepless nights_

_The darkened skies_

_The rainy days_

_And the sunny afternoons_

_I wasn't ready_

_To say goodbye_

_To all the love that you gave me_

_All the kisses on my forehead_

_All the warm hugs you offered_

_All the songs that you sang_

_And I wasn't ready_

_To say goodbye_

_To all the love that you gave me_

_That Heaven would never provide_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure this is it. I think this is as far as my idea will ever go, so yeah. But there might be more later, so don't think it's actually completely over.
> 
> Also, the song doesn't exist, at least not to my knowledge. I made it up as I went along. If it did exist though, I would name it "Dear Big Sister". It could be a poem, too. Possibly. If you wanted.
> 
> Bye my doggies!


	15. One Piece: If I Shatter, Pick Me Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Luffy didn't go back as his seventeen-year-old self? What if he went back in his own body at the age of twenty-five?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another One Piece time travel with a little twist...

_Would you turn back time?_

_If you were given the chance_

_Would you go back to the eras_

_When worry and pain was fake_

_If I had the chance_

_I'd do it all again_

_Because I would know_

_I could fix everything_

The straw-hatted captain stared at a familiar face with three claw marks on one eye, a missing arm, and bright red hair.

_If I shatter, pick me up_

_Please, it's all I have left_

_I've lost my family_

_The people who cared for me_

_And I'm looking at their ghosts_

_With such a broken heart_

_My eyes are tinted glass_

_So cracked and dark_

_So fragile and clear_

_I'm slowly losing it_

_Losing everything I ever held dear_

_Because you weren't here_

_And please, if I shatter, pick me up_

"Who're you?" The red head, _Shanks_ , asked dangerously. "And what are you doing on my ship?"  
  
Luffy should have known the pirate wouldn't recognize him. After all, Shanks hadn't seen him since he was seven, and even now, he looked so different than what Shanks would ever recognize Luffy to be.

It's not like he was wearing his straw hat either.

_And you look at me_

_With eyes that don't recognize_

_And I gaze at you brokenly_

_Because everything I knew is gone_

_And I can still feel the knife in my chest_

_I know you_

_But you don't know me_

_And it's sad_

_Because I remember laughing with you_

_You were somebody I looked up to_

_Someone I knew would always be there_

_And now that you_

_Can't remember me_

_I'm breaking inside_

_Cause it's just not fair_

Luffy smiled tiredly, sighing. "God, it's been how many years? And I have a feeling the bounty posters you've been seeing don't exactly match."

Because they wouldn't. No, the Luffy of this time was still seventeen, still young.

The twenty-five year old Luffy that stood in front of Shanks was another story.

"What are you talking about?" Shanks asked in confusion.

Luffy groaned. "This is so much harder than I thought it'd be."

Shanks raised his eyebrows. "What? You think sneaking onto a Yonko's ship was gonna be easy? You have another thing coming, kid."

Luffy laughed, the first real one since he'd lost Ace, lost his crew, lost Sabo, lost _Shanks_. "You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice again," Luffy laughed bitterly. "And not when you're screaming at me to run," he joked darkly.

Shanks shook his head. "I don't understand."

Luffy shrugged. "It's not like I expect you to. I was hoping giving an explanation without sounding insane would be easy, but I guess I just have the worst luck."

"Or the worst confidence," Shanks smirked.

Luffy gave a huff. "That, too, sadly."

"Who are you, anyway? I would hope I would remember someone like you. You do seem a little familiar," Shanks admitted.

"And that," Luffy pointed out. "makes me feel a bit better."

_If I shatter, pick me up_

_Please, it's all I have left_

_I've lost my family_

_The people who cared for me_

_And I'm looking at their ghosts_

_With such a broken heart_

_My eyes are tinted glass_

_So cracked and dark_

_So fragile and clear_

_I'm slowly losing it_

_Losing everything I ever held dear_

_Because you weren't here_

_And please, if I shatter, pick me up_

"Can you stop skirting around the question?" Shanks glared.

Luffy sighed. "Fine, but once I answer, do not start swinging. Let me explain, okay?"

Shanks eyed him warily. "Fine."

"My name," Luffy began. "is Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm 25 years old. Of course, in this timeline, I'm 17, but that's irrelevant."

Shanks stared with wide eyes. "Excuse me? What? I did just hear that correctly, right?"

"Oh, you heard just fine," Luffy smiled.

Shanks shuffled but not uneasily. "You're saying you time traveled?"

"I guess that's the simplest way to put it," Luffy agreed. "I wouldn't say it was exactly like that, but there's nothing closer I can think of to describe this."

"What would you call it?"

"A paradox," Luffy answered immediately.

"Didn't know you knew such big words," Shanks teased.

"Eight years passed by. It does things to you," Luffy said, half joking and half sad.

Shanks lowered his weapon but kept on guard. "Name one thing only Luffy would know."

Luffy cocked his head. "I can give you several. You lost your arm saving me from a Sea King, you're the reason I have a Devil Fruit, you came to my village when I was seven, you used to be on Gol D. Roger's crew as a cabin boy, and the straw hat you gave to me was originally Roger's," Luffy listed. "Plus, I can do this."

He grabbed his cheek and pulled, the skin stretching farther than any normal human's ever could.

Shanks stared blankly for a moment before laughing and sheathing his sword. "Well, this is just insane!"

"Trust me," Luffy said wryly. "This is the New World. Insane doesn't even begin to describe it."

Shanks eyed the male. "You look...different."

Luffy nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Nobody would ever take you to be Luffy," Shanks commented.

"Eight years, Shanks, eight years. Not sure whether that's a good or bad thing. If anything, it'll make it just that much easier to blend in, no cause for suspicion," Luffy replied. "I'm older, people change. Puberty hit me a bit later than normal."

Shanks barked out a sharp laugh. Luffy smiled.

Yes, Luffy had a more defined face now. The large scar on his chest that the present Luffy surely didn't possess covered his chest, and he had no hat. He didn't wear his normal attire anymore, not when it had reminded him too much of the past. A simple white button-up shirt, jeans, and a red jacket would do. His sandals stayed, though. His hair was a bit longer, and a piercing hung on his left ear, a fang of some sort. It was an honor of types to Zoro. He'd honored his whole crew the best he could.

He lived.

But with so many regrets, he didn't feel like he was _living_. He didn't feel alive.

"Hey, Shanks?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah?" The captain hummed.

"Can you tell me if you know where my younger self and his crew is?"

"What?" Shanks turned around. "Why?"

"I'm here for a reason. I think I know where to start," Luffy smiled.

"Last I heard, they were in Alabasta," Shanks answered.

"Alabasta," Luffy whispered.

_Years pass by_

_And I'm the only one_

_Who ever sees the colors fly_

_Through the sky_

_No regrets will ever pass me by_

_But I'm numb_

_Cold and broken, all alone_

_In the dark_

_With no light to lead me out, not a spark_

_And I drown_

_In all the memories I'm swimming in_

_I'm slowly tearing at the seams_

_I've been torn apart for far too long_

_But now_

_All I see is your face_

_And I can't stay_

_The only reason I'm here_

_Is to save you from my fate_

_I'm suffocating_

_Slowly dying_

_Burning to ashes in the flames_

_And I feel_

_Like my heart has just been freed_

_But I feel like I betrayed you_

_With all the words I never gave you_

_I'm slowly sinking_

_In a dark void I can't escape_

_I'm telling you_

_I've come here to fix this_

_Nobody's going to miss this_

_I swear_

_With all my heart_

_That it'll be okay_

_My hands are shaking_

_My lips are quaking_

_And I feel like I could die right now_

_But I've come to you to say this_

_Please don't ignore me_

_I'm suffering_

_It's buffering_

_The video on replay_

_I see it in my head_

_If I shatter, pick me up_

_Please, it's all I have left_

_I've lost my family_

_The people who cared for me_

_And I'm looking at their ghosts_

_With such a broken heart_

_My eyes are tinted glass_

_So cracked and dark_

_So fragile and clear_

_I'm slowly losing it_

_Losing everything I ever held dear_

_Because you weren't here_

_And please, if I shatter, pick me up_

Luffy gave a heartfelt goodbye to Shanks but pleaded for him to keep this a secret.

"Don't get so anxious, Anchor," Shanks chuckled. "My lips are sealed. Besides, who'd believe me? By tomorrow, even I'll be convinced I was a bit too drunk!"

"Probably better that way," Luffy muttered under his breath.

Shanks glared. "I heard that."

"Good."

And off to Alabasta he went.

_There's so much more to this_

_So much more than just goodbyes_

_More than greetings and reunions_

_Because I've waited so long to tell you_

_That you're the people I truly thank_

_You've made my life complete_

_I can finally rest in peace_

_You've saved me from myself_

_From the mask I hide behind_

_But it's never enough_

_So I've come here to warn you_

_But you have to hear me out_

_Let me do this one last thing_

_And I can finally go_

_If I shatter, pick me up_

_Please, it's all I have left_

_I've lost my family_

_The people who cared for me_

_And I'm looking at their ghosts_

_With such a broken heart_

_My eyes are tinted glass_

_So cracked and dark_

_So fragile and clear_

_I'm slowly losing it_

_Losing everything I ever held dear_

_Because you weren't here_

_And please, if I shatter, pick me up_

* * *

25 year old Monkey D. Luffy eyed the town he clearly remembered meeting up with Ace in.

"God, this is not going my way," Luffy rubbed his face. "I don't even know if my younger self and his crew have made it here yet, not to mention the fact that they might have already moved on."

Luffy let out a large puff of air in exasperation. "Dear Oda, please don't do this to me!" He whined incessantly, pleading to the sky. "Why world, why? What did I ever do to you?"

A deep, painfully familiar voice spoke up behind him. "Something, obviously, if you think the world is out to get you."

Luffy whipped around the see Zoro, his first mate, only younger.

Luffy's heart clenched, and he froze.

"Oi, you okay?" Zoro asked.

Luffy laughed nervously. If anyone would be able to recognize him, it would have been Zoro, but maybe he'd changed more drastically over the years than he'd thought. The thought was a bit saddening.

"I-I'm fine, you know? Just, uh, ranting to myself!"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "More like screaming."

Luffy sucked in a breath. The way the first mate could make sarcastic remarks like that and have no expression except utter boredom was very much Zoro.

Luffy sucked in his cheeks, a nervous habit he'd developed after a while. "Yeah, sure...Sorry, I really have to go! Bye now!"

Luffy turned on his heel and ran deeper into the town, leaving Zoro in the dust.

"What a weird guy," Zoro muttered. "Seemed...familiar, though." The swordsman thought about it, about the man he'd just met.

It gave him a feeling, a familiar feeling. A feeling of warmth, family, safety, and...

Luffy.

Zoro shook his head. "No way. This heat is making me delirious."

* * *

Luffy was not ready for this. Not at all.

Luffy stared with wide eyes at the woman standing before him, one with short orange hair and bright brown eyes.

Luffy dared not utter her name.

"Are you okay, sir?" Nami asked politely, but anyone could tell she was slightly impatient. "You're kind of blocking my way."

"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed, shuffling to the side, doing his best to avoid her eyes. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Nami eyed him. "Have we met before?"

Luffy tensed. Time to go! "Excuse me, but I'm kind of busy. Bye!" Luffy waved quickly before speeding off.

Nami pursed her lips. "He avoided the question. We've definitely met before. But where?"

* * *

Luffy could smell the meat before he saw it.

Oda, even after eight years, his stomach still nagged him continuously. It was a miracle and a curse all in one.

Luffy sucked in a large gulp of air. "Okay, I get food, fill my stomach, then look for Ace and my younger self!"

Even in dire circumstances, food was still his first priority.

* * *

Luffy gaped. "Oh my god..."

This could not be happening! Of all the petty luck, the one bar closest to him had been the one his younger self had barged into. The one Ace had been in a few minutes prior to that.

His damn luck! His damn, D. luck! It was a curse, the time traveler swore it! How else had he managed to attract so much trouble in the little time he was here?! Even in the past, he'd caused a lot of mayhem!

Ace's eyes flickered to him, and the pirate felt warmth and love flicker in his chest. Ace was alive here! Breathing and smiling!

So was his crew, Shanks, Sabo, and everyone else who had died for him.

It was worth everything to the rubber male.

Luffy bit his lip and eyed Smoker, who was obviously trying to arrest Ace.

Before Luffy could make a move, a startled yell of "Food!" was echoed out on the streets, and even Luffy hadn't managed to dodge the sudden sneak attack.

A force slammed into him, knocking him forward and sent him reeling into Ace and Smoker, crashing them through several walls before it finally stopped.

Luffy leapt up, shaking debris from his hair and brushing himself off. "Well, that was a ride!" He could now understand his crew mates' annoyance of him doing that to them without their consent.

Luffy laughed. If they had still been alive, it's not like he would've stopped either though!

Ace pushed himself off the ground and growled. "What kind of idiot would do that?!"

Luffy snickered quietly.

Ace passed Luffy, brushing shoulders with the male, and Luffy jerked, rearing back. It surprised him.

Ace sent the man an odd look, but ignored the voice saying he had to protect him, and stalked through the holes, intent on finding the person who had sent them all flying in the first place.

Luffy blinked and looked back at Smoker before shrugging and hurrying to follow his older (younger?) brother.

Once Ace had stepped foot into the bar again, he saw Luffy sitting there and eating to his heart's content. A grin lit up on his face. "Lu-"

"Strawhat!" Smoker's voice barked as Ace's face was smashed into the ground by the marine's hand.

Luffy nibbled his lip and jumped over Ace's body, who had still not gotten up yet, and walked over to stand off to the side inside the bar.

He tuned out most of the conversation, remembering most of it anyway from the time the rant had been given to him by the same marine. The only time Luffy turned his head back was when his younger self raced out of the bar with enough meat to fill a wagon in his cheeks like a squirrel.

Smoker raced after the younger, and Ace took this moment to pop back up and look around hurriedly. "Luffy! Wait up! It's me!" He cried, following them like a lost puppy.

Luffy glanced around at all the traumatized customers and bartenders before strolling out of the doors.

Next stop, the Going Merry.

* * *

Luffy was there before the rest of the crew, and the man was thankful for that.

"Hey, Merry," Luffy hummed. "I missed you, you know? I really hope you meant what you said, about being happy."

No voice answered, but Luffy got the feeling that Merry had replied anyway.

Her answer was "Yes, I am."

* * *

Luffy didn't mind waiting for the crew, but it was so boring! He'd been on top of the crow's nest for a while now, and he was slowly getting irritated.

Okay, so, to be fair, it had only been a few minutes, but Monkey D. Luffy was not, and never had been, a patient person.

Finally, after what seemed to be decades, Luffy's crew jumped on Merry and sailed away from the docks, looking for any sign of Ace.

The moment Ace jumped aboard and knocked his younger self down, Luffy stupidly lost his balance in the crow's nest.

Now, he hadn't just fallen out. No, Luffy had been leaning so far over the side, it was a miracle all of the blood hadn't rushed to his head.

He plummeted and hit the deck with a thunk, groaning in exasperation. "Why me?"

"Hey! You're the guy I saw at the bar!" Ace exclaimed, pointing a finger at Luffy.

"And the guy who was screaming at the sky," Zoro mentioned.

"And the one who completely avoided my question!" Nami glared stubbornly.

"Does everyone know this dude?" Usopp yelped.

"No," Sanji and Chopper said.

"What are you doing here?" The younger Luffy asked innocently. "Where'd you come from? Did you just fall out of the sky?"

The older Luffy chuckled nervously and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, I fell from the crow's nest. But that's irrelevant!"

"What were you doing up there?" Ace asked dangerously.

"Waiting," Luffy answered.

"For what?" Sanji asked, lighting a cigarette.

"Why, you guys, of course!" Luffy exclaimed, standing up and flinging his arms dramatically in the air.

"But why?" Nami asked.

"Cause I need to speak with you! Why else?" Luffy said in a 'duh' tone.

"You ran into Nami, Ace, and me," Zoro said. "but you ran away, and now you act like you need to talk to us?"

"I do!" Luffy insisted. "Look, I didn't want to talk to you all one on one. All together was best, so avoiding you was the best route until everyone gathered in a group," Luffy spread his arms. "And here we are!"

"So, you're not here to rob us?" Chopper asked.

Luffy looked baffled. "What?! No, of course not! What makes you think I'd do something like that?!"

"You were hiding in the crow's nest," Zoro pointed out.

"I wasn't hiding! I was waiting!" Luffy interjected.

Zoro hummed in disbelief.

Luffy smiled. This was what it felt like to be with his crew again, even if they weren't _his_ crew.

He threw his head back and laughed joyously. "Shishishishi!"

The crew and Ace paused. That sounded like...

"Hey!" Luffy's younger self burst. "That's my laugh!"

Luffy stopped laughing abruptly. "..."

Ace stepped forward. "Who are you?"

"Me?" Luffy asked, sighing sadly. "I'm someone who had a dream, who had two brothers, who ate a Devil Fruit, who had freedom, who was a captain, who had a crew like family, who had everything he could have ever wanted. But lost it all in the blink of an eye because of blind justice."

Silence.

"I'm also someone who wants to fix that," Luffy finished.

"Fix how exactly?" Nami asked.

Luffy ignored her. "Seven years old, I meet a pirate, a powerful pirate, who I looked up to, who was my friend. He gave me something as a promise that I would return it when I completed my dream. Seven years old, I lose one of my older brothers. I weep and mourn for weeks, but vow to get stronger. I make my brother promise me something I've always remembered. Fourteen years old, my other older brother sets off to sea, and I see him off, waving happily and wishing him luck. I'm still vowing to become stronger. Seventeen years old, and I set off on my own to become a pirate. I gather my crew, starting with my swordsman, my navigator, my sniper, my cook, my doctor, my archeologist, my shipwright, and ending with my musician. Seventeen years old..." Luffy trailed off, choking slightly.

  
He continued anyway. "...I find out my brother has been turned into the government for execution by a crew member of my brother's who betrayed them. I had just been separated from my crew, and we made a pact to meet up in three days, but I went to save my brother anyway. I had to fight my way through Impel Down and all the way to the last level, only to find I had been too late. My brother was being dragged to the execution stand at the very moment I had gotten there. Long story later, I find myself battling through hoards and hoards of marines and Admirals, all intent on keeping me from saving my brother. I had to fight through my grandpa, who was a marine. And eventually, I got him free. Things happened, and my brother tried to rush an Admiral who had insulted someone he considered a father. I tried to help, but I was too weak at the time. I couldn't move anymore, and the poison I had barely escaped my life with hadn't completely left my system yet. The Admiral turned to me, magma fist ready to strike me dead....My brother didn't let that happen. Instead, he was the one impaled through the chest. He died in my arms, breaking the promise he made to me when I was seven right along with it."

Silence. Sad silence.

"Seventeen years old, I pass out from trauma on the battlefield and only survive because of two other pirates who helped me, along with my brother's crew. I woke up a while later, I can't remember the time gap, and went insane. All I wanted was my brother back. I came to when a good friend of my brother's convinced me that I still had my crew left. I knew I wasn't strong enough, none of us were, not to face the New World. I changed three days to two years. We took that time to train."

"Nineteen years old, and I'm meeting up with my crew again, barely breaking a sweat defeating the very thing that had separated us two years before when I had such trouble previously. Later, I find out that there's a competition for fighting, my dead brother's Devil Fruit as the prize. I already have a Devil Fruit, but I won't accept anyone else having my brother's, so I compete. I discover my other brother who I had thought died when I was seven was alive, and he ended up eating our brother's Devil Fruit. I was happy. Everything was fine, we were free, and a year later...I complete my dream. My crew completes their dreams, and we couldn't have been happier. A year after that...we're caught off guard. The pirate that betrayed my brother and turned him in killed my crew mercilessly in front of me, my brother dies protecting me, and the pirate I had looked up to dies for me as well, all of them telling me to live."

Luffy continues with effort. "I try, I try to live, but I break everyday I don't have them with me. Twenty-five years old, I find myself sitting on an execution stand at Marineford, the same place my brother died when he saved me from being killed at seventeen. I'm going to die, and I don't care anymore. And I feel like I'm betraying my crew, my family, my friends, because they gave up their lives for mine, and I was wasting it. But I couldn't take it anymore. The knives went in my shoulders, through my lungs. I should have died. But instead, I wake up here, eight years in the past and realize I'm getting a second chance. And I can't screw it up. That's how I'm fixing it," he finished quietly.

The silence was deafening, thick, and painful.

The younger Luffy stepped forward with tears in his eyes. "You're...me, aren't you?"

The older man gave his younger self a sad smile. "Yes, I am."

The crew and Ace choked on air.

Luffy closed his eyes. "I guess this is the worst way for you two to find out Sabo is alive, huh?" He joked in his attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"If he's alive, why hasn't he told us?" Ace demanded quietly, still in slight shock.

"He has amnesia. He doesn't remember anything except his name. He...he remembered after he saw your death in the paper," Luffy replied stiffly.

"The Luffy I know doesn't have shadows like that behind his eyes," Zoro commented.

Luffy gazed at him. "The Luffy you know hasn't been through half of what I have."

This was true, and the truth hurt.

Luffy sighed. "I don't have time for this. Ace, you can't go after Blackbeard."

"What?! Why the hell not?!" Ace cried.

"Because he's the on that does you in! It's his fault you died! I'm not risking that!" Luffy barked angrily. "I know you want to avenge Thatch, but you're not strong enough to do it, as hard as that hits your pride! If you want him dead, let me do it! I have more reason than anyone here to do that fucker's face in!"

"He's my responsibility!" Ace retorted.

"He's the one that killed you! He killed both of my brothers, he killed my crew, he killed the only person I ever saw as a father! For the love of God, Ace, he massacred Fuchsia Village! Makino was gone, Dadan and the bandits were gone, and Grandpa couldn't do anything! Grandpa couldn't save you, he couldn't save Sabo, he couldn't save my crew, he couldn't save Shanks, he couldn't save our home! I never forgave him for that! I lost everything because of Teach! I lost my family, I lost my friends, I lost my warmth, I lost my life! I was lonely, and I didn't want to go on like that! Life wasn't worth it anymore, and that's Teach's fault! He took my whole world away from me!" A pause. "If you want Teach dead...let me do it. Please."

Nobody said anything. There was nothing to say.

"On one condition," Ace said begrudgingly.

"What?" Luffy asked.

"I come with you," Ace said.

"Ace-!" Luffy burst, but the pirate cut him off.

"Take it or leave it," Ace demanded.

"...Fine."

"Okay."

Ace turned around and pulled out a very familiar piece of paper.

Luffy's heart stopped.

"What's this?" His younger self asked.

"It's something that'll allow us to meet again," Ace replied, smiling.

The younger Luffy took it. "It's a piece of paper."

"What?" Ace smirked. "You don't want it?"

"No!" He yelled, pulling back. "I want it!"

Luffy's breathing got faster, heavier. He couldn't breathe.

"Hey? Luffy? You okay?" Ace asked in concern.

' _No! I'm not_!' His mind screamed. His fingers found their way to his chest, starting to claw at the scar that lay beneath the white fabric.

"Luffy?!"

It burned. It was burning.

Luffy ripped his shirt off and began scratching at the large X scar on his chest, breathing growing ragged.

_It'll allow us to meet again!_

_Ace!_

_Luffy!_

_Thank you...for loving me!_

The burning died down, the screams of his younger crew and brother echoing in his ears.

"Ace?" Luffy asked quietly.

"What?" Ace asked desperately, kneeling next to him.

"I wish you never gave me your vivre card," he whispered brokenly.

His words rung in their heads, the scar on his chest bared for all to see, burned into their memory.

Despite all Luffy had said, it was obvious he hadn't given the whole story.

* * *

Ace and the elder version of Luffy made the decision to stay one more night, if only for the older ex-pirate captain's sake.

They sat around the deck, watching the stars and drinking to their hearts' content.

The older rubber man hummed quietly to himself as he basked in his nakama's presence, allowing himself to feel warmth and love once more.

"Feel me breaking down," he murmured, lost in a haze of comfort. "I still feel the pain of losing you. It's still fresh, it's still there, haunting me like a ghost that would never leave..."

The crew and Ace's heads turns to see the older man singing so quietly, you could barely hear it unless you were in complete silence.

"But I've come back to you, I've come home finally. And I hope to never leave, I hope to see where this leads, but I know I don't belong here. I know that I can't stay here. And I'm breaking down..." He sang, rocking gently back and forth to the rhythm of the ocean's waves.

"I'm still holding on, I'm not letting go, but you've slipped through my fingers, you've given it your all. And I'm giving up, I'm drawing back, because I can't do this anymore. There are things that I see, things inside of me, and they're not safe. Monsters claw at me, they beg to be released, but if I give in, I know I'll never be able to face you again..."

"I hope you understand this, I can hardly understand myself, but if you know me well, I hope you know I love you. I hope you know I would have done anything for you...I hope you know that if I could change things, there wouldn't be a second of hesitation. I'm standing my ground. I hope you understand this, understand that freedom doesn't exist without you..."

"Alone and cold, I need warmth to keep moving on...But I'll never find it, not way back then. But now I can see it. The family I craved for so long. I hope you understand this, understand that I never meant to let you down. Please don't misinterpret, I really do love you, but leaving is the only way I can make this end..."

The man hummed softly, gripping his ankles with his legs crossed on the wood as he rocked. "I hope you understand this, understand that I never meant to fall. I never meant to leave you, I never meant to give up. But the pain without you...was too much to bear. I was too weak to keep going on, so I left, and now I'm gone..."

They all watched with heavy hearts as the man whispered the words under his breath to a sad tune that echoed across the ship. "I hope you understand this, understand that I couldn't do it...I'm sorry..."

Sad solemnity settled over the ship, and the older Luffy broke it by laughing abruptly. "I'm getting depressing again, aren't I? Ignore me! I'm growing senile!"

But nobody could ignore the pain in the man's eyes. The older Luffy may have been able to see his crew again, but they weren't _his_ crew. They hadn't shared the same experiences he had. Even Ace understood that.

This man was Monkey D. Luffy, but he was a different one. He was broken inside, wiser from his experiences and lonely.

He'd come back because he simply had nothing more to lose.

The thought made the crew and Ace scared for the younger Luffy's fate and future.

"What was it like?" Zoro blurted. "Without us?"

"Zoro!" Nami screeched. "That's completely insensitive!"

But the time traveler only smiled sadly. "Without you...without you guys, I had nothing to live for, nothing to move forward for. My dream didn't mean anything if the people I loved weren't there to share it with me. It simply became a burden for me. I didn't have the heart to continue being a pirate, so I usually hopped from island to island, evading marines and living as normally as I could. My...drastic change in appearance mostly had to do with the fact that I needed to hide my identity somehow, plus the fact that eight years have passed for me, but you get the gist. It hurt a lot, still hurts, that I knew I didn't have a place to go back to, a home. Our ship was burnt to the ground, my village and all the people I loved in it massacred and destroyed...I'm still shocked I managed to keep living for so long after your deaths. But I suppose everybody has their limits...mine was just coming to an end later rather than sooner."

Luffy smiled gently at them. "I promise that you won't have to worry about that future for your Luffy. I've come back to fix that, and there's nothing in this world that's going to stop me, not God and not fate. I swear on everything to that."

"Should you really mess with time?" Chopper asked, but he knew that he would not ever be against this. He didn't want Luffy to become...this.

The male sighed and leaned back, staring at the twinkling stars that floated in a sky made of ink. His eyes watered, and he sucked in a deep breath. "Should I? Probably not. Am I? Yes. I don't care about anything else. I'm selfish. If it kills an entire island, I couldn't care less as long as you guys and everyone I've ever cared about _lives_. I'm going to make this trip worthwhile. I'm going to save you all, and most of all...I'm going to save myself."

He grinned widely, the smile sucking every last bit of breath from their lungs. "I'm going to die if it means saving all of you. That's final."

* * *

The next morning, Ace and the older Luffy prepared to set sail for Blackbeard.

Ace and the crew glanced to see the older Luffy sitting on Merry's figurehead, kicking his legs happily.

"Hey, Luffy, you ready?" Ace called.

The ex-pirate glanced back and grinned. "Yeah!" He hopped up and swung into the deck, landing gently. He rolled his shoulders, leaning back and grunting as a crack shuddered through his spine. "I'm glad I got to sit on Merry's head again! It's been quite a while! Brings back...nice memories."

The younger Luffy, who sat on the deck cross-legged, laughed. "Shishishishi! Yeah! Merry's awesome!"

The older Luffy blinked for a moment before smiling gently and bending his knees to kneel down in front of the younger. His large hand reach out and pressed the straw hat deeper into the smaller Luffy's black locks. "No matter what happens or what I've told you, keep smiling. Keep hoping for the next day. Keep getting stronger. You'll need it. I hope, for my sake and yours, that you never go down the same path I did. Live a better life, and hope for more. Never tell yourself there's not anymore to gain. Take everything the world has to offer and more. Once the world has run dry, make more yourself."

"Of what?" The younger cocked his head. "Make more of what? Take what?"

The older smiled and knocked the hat back gently, ruffling his hair. "Freedom. Love. Warmth. Safety. Adventure. Anything you want. Take it all."

In that moment, the image of both looked to be one of two brothers wishing the other luck.

He stood up, running a hand through his hair and glancing back at the Whitebeard pirate. " _Now_ I'm ready."

Ace let a smile slip onto his face and leapt onto Striker. "Let's go."

Luffy jumped onto the railing and balanced into a crouch, glancing back at his younger crew. "You're not _my_ crew, not the one that knows _me_ , not the one that experienced everything with me up until they died, but you're still my crew, if that makes any sense. And I'm glad I got to see you all one last time."

"What makes you think this is going to be the last time, shitty rubber?" Sanji asked, puffing smoke.

"Why not? My purpose anymore is to save you. After that, what else is going to happen to me? Am I going to die? Am I going to keep living? But what for? I'm not your Luffy."

"You're not our Luffy," Zoro agreed. "But you're still Luffy. Which means, in any circumstance, that you're still our captain."

The older Luffy's eyes widened, and he glanced at the younger. The smaller Luffy grinned. "He's right, you know!"

Tears brimmed Luffy's eyes, and he choked a laugh. "You guys are going to be the end of me one day...Thank you."

He turned back and jumped off, landing on Striker. "Set sail for Blackbeard!"

* * *

**I'm sorry! But I'm not writing the fight with Blackbeard! I can barely remember what happened, and I can't be bothered. But maybe one day I'll come back and turn this into a fight scene. For now, onwards!**

* * *

Luffy smiled as he stared into Teach's dying eyes. "Any least words, Teach?"

Fear shined in the pirate's eyes, afraid of death, of Luffy. "I-"

"Oh, I forgot. You don't get that pleasure," Luffy hissed and lifted his foot, turning the appendage black with Armament. He smashed the foot down onto Blackbeard's head, the skull shattering brutally.

Behind him, Ace got a sick feeling of pleasure followed by a sick rumbling in his gut. ' _He's changed...so much. I'm sorry I couldn't have helped you, Lu_.'

* * *

Luffy and Ace stared at each other curiously.

"What now?" Ace asked.

"What now?" Luffy echoed. "Now, you go back to your crew and celebrate."

"And you?" Ace frowned.

"Me?" Luffy hummed. "I guess I'll go where the wind takes me. Maybe visit Sabo, just to see him one more time before I disappear. Not like he'll know me, but then again, it's probably best that way. Won't worry if I start spewing apologies and horror stories about his death. Question it maybe but not worry, at least not about me."

"He worries about everyone," Ace pointed out. "He'll worry for your mental health at the very least."

Luffy barked a laugh. "Yeah, probably."

Ace didn't want his little (big?) brother to leave on his own. He'd been alone for a long time already. He knew his brother, and Luffy would never want to be alone.

"You can't seriously want to go back to being alone again," Ace looked worriedly at his sibling.

Luffy shook his head. "Of course I don't. You know me better than that. But where else am I going to go? I've already attempted death. I fucked it up. I fuck everything up."

Ace frowned before holding out his hand. "You say you don't have anywhere to go, so come with me. Come back with me," he smirked. "I always did want you to join Pops."

Luffy quirked an eyebrow. "You're telling me you want me to give in to your wishes?"

Ace shrugged. "You're already Pirate King, aren't you? The Luffy here has his crew, his family. I have mine back on the Moby Dick. Don't you want one?"

"Mine are waiting for me in death," Luffy told him sadly. "I want to try again, try to go back to them."

Ace swallowed. "Please, Luffy. They wouldn't want that for you. Live a longer life than this." He reached his hand out farther. "Lu?"

Luffy's lip quivered. "Stupid big brother," he reached his own hand out and gripped his brother's. "You'll always be my big brother, right?"

Ace smiled. Yes, this was the Luffy he knew. "Always."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the Moby Dick, Whitebeard, the commanders, and the rest of the crew had grown more restless as each day passed by since Ace left.

"I'm not sure it was a good idea to let him go," Izou said worriedly.

"We didn't "let him go", you idiot," Marco pointed out. "The flame-brain left on his own, and no amount of protesting stopped that stubborn moron."

"What if he doesn't come back?" Jozu shifted nervously. "I mean, Teach was obviously much stronger than we took him for, and now that he's got a Devil Fruit..."

"Don't think like that!" Marco snapped. "It's only been a couple months. He just needs more time."

Suddenly, there was a loud crash that echoed from Whitebeard's room.

"Pops!" The commanders cried and hurried to go check on their captain.

What they saw was a surprise. Once dust settled, they could see a hole in the wall. Beyond the wall and on the floor at Pops's feet was a man about twenty or so, maybe older, with messy black hair, a red jacket with no under shirt (unknown to them, the man had ripped it to pieces earlier), a large X scar on his chest, sandals, and a pair of jeans. A fang of sorts hung from his left ear.

Once the man popped up, his face was visible. Dark brown eyes blinked wildly and a scar marred one of his cheeks just below his right eye.

"Damn, it's been a while since I've had such an eventful landing!" The man laughed, hopped up and brushing dust from his wild hair. "Brings back some good times! I don't know why I haven't done that ages ago!"

"Who are you?!" The commanders asked.

The man cocked his head and looked at them. "Pineapple Head? Did I seriously land on the Moby Dick? Wow, my luck is just getting better and better today!"

Marco steamed. "Who are you calling a Pineapple Head?!"

"Guararara!" Whitebeard boomed in laughter. He could tell this man was dangerous despite his demeanor, but he wasn't a threat to his family. "Who are you, brat?"

The male looked up and finally seemed to realize Whitebeard was there. "Giant Ossan? You're here, too? Man, what room did I crash into?"

"Mine," the large captain boomed in amusement.

The mysterious intruder snapped his fingers. "That makes a whole lot more sense!"

"Are you going to tell us who you are or what?" Izou asked impatiently. If Pops didn't think this man to be a threat, then Izou would give him a chance.

"Oh!" He blinked. "Sorry! Had a few others things going on! I'm-"

"Damnit, Luffy!" A familiar voice barked. "Are you seriously telling me you still do this after all these years?"

The man turned around and leaned over, poking his head out of the hole and looking down at the ocean. "To be fair, this is the first time I've done it in a long time! And been happy about it! I usually only did it when I wasn't paying attention and smashed through something when I was being chased by marines, Admirals, or a Shichibukai! Stressful times those were!"

Somebody the men in the room recognized immediately hopped through the hole and crossed his arms. "Lu, I swear, you're going to give me an ulcer."

The man dubbed "Luffy" raised a finger. "Uh...what's an ulcer?"

Ace slapped his forehead. "Nothing, nothing at all."

Luffy shrugged. "Alright then!"

"Ace, you're back!" Marco exclaimed. "But who is this?"

Ace looked at them and pouted. "You can't be serious? Did you forget about my little brother? The one I talk about every day?"

"Well, no," Jozu said. "But I distinctly remember you telling us that he was three years younger than you. This guy looks around your age or older."

"I'm not that old!" Luffy whined.

"You're the one that mentioned you were going senile," Ace grinned.

"It was a joke!" Luffy groaned.

"And we've seen his bounty poster," Izou said. "You have them posted on your wall. He looks nothing like this guy."

Luffy huffed, crossing his arms and turning his back to them. "Well, excuse me for eight years passing by."

Whitebeard didn't seem too shocked, just very curious. "Are you a time traveler?"

Luffy looked up at the man. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way. By now, this would be considered more of an alternate dimension since I changed a bunch of stuff."

"Changed what?" Marco asked warily.

"Well...in my time, Blackbeard kicked Ace's ass and turned him into the government. He was killed at the war of Marineford, and then Whitebeard died fighting. Blackbeard was let free for a long time. He...hurt a lot of people. I killed him though! He's dead now!" Luffy smiled happily.

The commanders frowned in concerned confusion. Ace noticed. "Blackbeard killed Lu's crew."

Luffy jerked. "Ace! What the hell?!"

Ace shrugged. "It's not like it's going to change much, Luffy."

Luffy glowered. "It changes a whole lot! That's not information you just give out! Your family or not, they're not mine! Mine are dead!"

The commanders frowned, and Whitebeard gave the man a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry for your loss. It's horrible to lose family."

Luffy didn't say anything for a moment. "Giant Ossan?"

"Yes?"

"What do you do...when you lose somebody you love?"

Whitebeard smiled gently. "I drink and talk with my other sons. We mourn together, as a family. I enjoy what I have left."

"But Ossan," Luffy said sadly. "What happens when there's no one left?"

Whitebeard gazed at the man sadly. He'd been through a lot, that was obvious. "Would you like to join my family?"

Luffy stared with wide eyes at the captain. "But...I-"

"You're Ace's brother, time travel aside, are you not? You are still his brother; you are family. We'd never accept anything less."

Luffy shuffled, hand subconsciously rubbing his scar. "You're Ace's family. I can't take that away from him."

"Idiot!" Ace bellowed, slamming his fist on Luffy's head.

"Ow!" He yelped. "You used Haki, I know you did!"

Ace ignored that. "Take my family away from me? Luffy, I think you actually got stupider over the years! For the love of Oda, if you were to leave, I'd be one family member short! Come on, Lu! What do you have to lose?"

"Nothing," Luffy whispered. "I have nothing."

"Then stay!" Whitebeard boomed. "Become a my new son!"

Luffy glanced at the commanders. "I..."

They smiled. "Seriously kid, don't get yourself dwelling on it," Marco told him.

"Just join us already!" Izou laughed.

"Yes," Luffy whispered. "Yes, I'll join your crew."

Ace cheered and pulled his brother into a hug. "You won't regret this, Lu! I promise!"

"But I get to be the captain!" Luffy yelled once Ace let him go.

"In your dreams!" Ace sneered.

"What? I am the Pirate King after all!" Luffy laughed. "Nobody can stop the Pirate King!"

"Except himself," Jozu smirked.

Ace's fists lit up. "And his older brother."

"Nothing!" Luffy called as he ran away and out of sight.

"Get back here!" Ace cried and raced after the man.

"Pirate King, huh?" Whitebeard smiled.

"Think he's actually telling the truth?" Marco asked.

"I don't doubt it for a second," Whitebeard laughed.

_If I shatter, pick me up_

_Please, it's all I have left_

_I've lost my family_

_The people who cared for me_

_And I'm looking at their ghosts_

_With such a broken heart_

_My eyes are tinted glass_

_So cracked and dark_

_So fragile and clear_

_I'm slowly losing it_

_Losing everything I ever held dear_

_Because you weren't here_

_And please, if I shatter, pick me up_

_Glue the pieces back together_

_And turn me into art_

_Fix me once more_

_And make me better than before_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! This was a bunch of fun to write! Some humor, lot of angst, it was a mix! If you have any requests, please tell me in the comments or private message me! Thanks, and bye my doggies!


	16. Blue Exorcist: Blue Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin's twenty years old. It's been four years since his friends and brother's deaths. What if he could change it all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another time travel bit, but not related to Demon and Ghosts: Hell's King and King of the Dead. Similar to One Piece: If I Shatter, Pick Me Up.

He didn't know where he was going. All he knew was that he could feel wind in his hair, sharp cold slicing his burning cheeks, and snow attempting to blanket him.

It'd been four years since their deaths, four years since they had captured him.

Four years since everything.

The cries of rage that echoed behind him spurred him forward, propelling him through trees and grass, eyes focusing in the dark.

Since their deaths, they had been free to do anything they wanted with him. They'd turned him into a slave, an assassin, a weapon they could control.

Unfortunately, they never pondered the circumstances if he were ever to free himself from their binds. The seals and bindings were easy enough to override with the right knowledge, words, and equipment.

They'd turned him into a killing machine, a beast bred for bloodshed. He could've gone back, gone back and made them pay for what they'd done, what they'd turned him into.

But he was free now. He was never going back, not ever. Not even for revenge.

The burn of muscles working overtime became a familiar sensation, but he figured he was doing well enough after being starved and dehydrated for weeks on end. He found that he was doing alright in his condition.

He had to be. He couldn't let them catch him. It'd be over his dead body.

Darkness lay ahead of him, approaching quicker and quicker with each stride he took, but he welcomed it. He was ready to embrace it, ready to use it to his advantage.

A fog graced over the black, but he paid it no mind.

Multiple armed men burst through the trees, weapons raised and bullets flying, but they were the ones who'd trained him, after all. He dodged them easier than what should be humanly possible.

He leapt forward, plunging into the black abyss that swam in front of him, blind and comforting.

An odd cold washed over the man, and his conscience seemed to waver before dropping completely.

It was too late by the time panic seized him. Rin had already fallen into the cold embrace of unawareness.

* * *

When Rin snapped his eyes open, he expected exorcists to be swarming him, for new binds to be put in place, or maybe even a front row seat to his own execution.

What he didn't expect was to wake to a warm spring day and a monarch fluttering above his face.

He jolted up, arms bracing himself as he sat forward. Wide orbs blinked in bewilderment as he scanned his surroundings.

It seemed to be the place he'd past out at, but why wasn't it winter anymore? Where were the Vatican? Why was it day time?

And why was he alive?

Rin shook these thoughts from his head. He had no time to dwell on those things, not when there were more important matters to be handled.

Strong arms pushed himself off the ground, the chain on his left jean leg clanging noisily as he stood. Black combat boots dug into the dirt in attempt to steady himself, and black navy-blue tinted hair dyed with strips of blood red hung in his dark blue eyes.

A simple black tee covered his torso, showing off arms littered with tattoos that looked very similar to runes of some kind. He popped his back, yawning while sharp fangs glinted in the sunlight streaming between leaves.

The pale skin on his face and arms were littered with small light scars, but the scene of something jagged and pink on his back poking over the collar suggested there was more horror to see underneath.

The man curled his lips, scratching his head irritably. Dirt and grime caked him like syrup on pancakes, and two small silver hoops on each pointed ear dangled quietly.

Rin stood tall, marching into the direction of the city. He'd never get answers by speaking to the butterflies.

* * *

 

Rin frowned, cocking his head curiously with a frown at the small cafe with a calendar on the window.

The year was all wrong. It had to be. He'd be fifteen if what this date read was correct.

Rin tapped delicately on the glass, startling the girl at the counter inside. She turned her head, frowning at his appearance.

She moved away from the counter, walking over and opening the glass door, a bell ringing gently. "Can I help you?"

Rin frowned, once again pointing at the calendar's date. The female frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Rin scowled in annoyance and insistently poked his finger at the year again with more aggression.

"Uhm, are you asking me if the date is correct?" The girl frowned.

Rin nodded his head quickly.

She smiled hesitantly. "Yes, the date is right."

Rin furrowed his eyebrows before turning his back on her and striding away.

He'd time traveled or something, that much was obvious. Question was, why? And how?

* * *

Rin's first instinct was to find Shura. She was the only who who'd lived out of everyone he knew in the future.

She hadn't been able to help him escape from the Vatican's wrath, but she'd helped him out by giving him enough food and water as to not starve, reducing punishment, and even going so far as to gain control over his seals and bindings. Shura hadn't hurt him unnecessarily like the others, and she usually only did it for show.

The few times he had defied the Vatican had been reasonable, Shura knew. She understood that he was a mindless beast to them and only intended to hurt him.

She'd done everything she could in the end. The only reason he'd ever escaped from the damned place was because Shura gave him the spells and information to rid himself of the seals and such.

He desperately hoped she was okay, and people hadn't figured out she'd been a traitor. Rin didn't want her to die, too.

The complication was that he'd have to tell her who he was and explain the situation. That would be hard enough in its own right. But what other choice did he have? He was losing options quicker than anticipated.

Solidified in his reasoning, Rin set out on a mission.

* * *

The half demon didn't know exactly where he was going. Winging it seemed to be the best option at this point since he didn't exactly have a key to get into the Cram School. That had been taken right along with his freedom.

Rin would admit, he probably had a better chance of finding his dead brother or one of his dead friends than he did Shura. He didn't know how much she actually went into the city. Besides, the high school would be the perfect place to find them.

On a more negative note, he wasn't sure he was completely ready to face them yet, not to mention it was likely his younger self would be there. That would be awkward.

Again, he was running dry of options. He was limited as it was, but his tunnel of vision seemed to be getting thinner and thinner every second.

He had no time to lose.

* * *

Sprinting had always been a stress relief for Rin, especially after a stressful day tortured by the Vatican. If done long enough, his muscles began to burn painfully. It was almost like cutting except less bloody.

Every time he did this, it seemed to take more and more time to feel the burn until eventually, it took so long to feel anything that he simply didn't have enough time in between to run at all.

But as he sprinted down sidewalks and by buildings for a few hours, the burn started to build up again, a blissfully painful burn that shot to his thighs and straight to his chest.

The feeling had Rin closing his eyes in absentminded nostalgia before snapping back open, reminding himself he could admire the pain at a later, more appropriate date. Right now, he had an important task.

A task he refused to fail.

* * *

He'd never took himself for the sentimental type, not when he was younger and surely not now, but as his eyes found their way to his supposed-to-be-dead brother and friends across the stretch of campus, his heart clenched, and he wanted to cry out for them.

Sadly, the years of love and care he could have had was stripped away by the Vatican, replacing the emotions with cold indifference and the instincts of a monster. This being said, no tears he wanted to cry were shed, no change of expression was made obvious, and no words escaped his mouth, the same it'd always been for the past four years.

Yet, he still had a heart which meant that underneath the calm, casual facade lie a boy screaming for his family, crying for help, and begging for comfort. The boy wanted to call out to his friends, call out to his brother, call out and hug them, but the mask he'd developed and the defenses he had built prevented that.

It was one of the many moments Rin despised the Vatican.

Rin frowned and made a decision to leave the campus, telling himself he'd come back when he was ready, but a familiar pair of brown eyes met his, topped with pierced ears and a blonde strip going through brown hair. Rin froze in his spot.

Rin begged to not be recognized, begged that he'd changed too much for anyone to ever see any of his fifteen-year-old self in him.

Bon stared at him, eyes narrowed in his direction with suspicion. The emotion was warranted since Rin _had_ been staring at them for a copious amount of time. Someone was bound to notice.

Rin was uncomfortable with the piercing stare but not unsafe, so Rin decided not to make any sudden moves. But when Bon began walking towards him, Rin knew immediately that unsafe territory was being approached much too quickly in a much too threatening manner.

Rin took a quick step back, eyes wide with fear as his mask of indifference dropped like a brick through glass. A small gasp left his lips, the first sound he'd made in four years, and attempted to turn tail and retreat.

Unfortunately, Rin had mistaken Bon as someone he deemed safe, not too much of a threat. He'd panicked far too long and made the decision to retreat far too late. Bon was already there, grabbing his arm before he could make a run for it.

"Who the hell are you, and why are you staring at me and my friends?" Bon hissed angrily.

Rin's throat caught, and a strange guttural noise rose from it. He strangled for words but was unable to produce any due to years of muteness.

He should have been able to pull away, but something forbid his movement.

His mind flashed back to when he was fifteen, young and much more carefree, when he would laugh with Shima, smile with Shiemi, bicker with Izumo, do homework with Konekomaru, train with Shura, nag each other with Yukio, and argue with Bon.

All the memories with them, the good and the bad, Bon smacking him upside the head, Shima laughing at his misfortune, Shiemi shyly encouraging him, Konekomaru accepting him for who he was, Yukio reprimanding him about homework, Shura stabbing him with her sword more than necessary, and Izumo calling him an idiot.

Their faces had started to fade a while ago. He had no pictures to remember them by, no videos or voice recordings. Everything that proved they had existed was burnt to ash by the Vatican to ensure his molding into a weapon.

Now, their faces were becoming less blurry, voice becoming less and less like background static, tangibility becoming real.

Maybe a part of him didn't want Bon to let go. A part of him yearned for the proof that this was _real_.

A jerk on his arm startled him back to reality. "I said," Bon growled. "who are you?!"

Rin sucked in a breath, a gasp escaping for a second time that same day, and ripped himself away from the teen.

Words still refused to escape his mouth, his tongue still refused to lash at Bon like he used to, but noises were enough for him to eject.

"Can't you speak?" Bon asked angrily, glaring with narrowed eyes, ready to grab him again.

Subconsciously, Rin rubbed his throat delicately, wondering when his voice would ever return to him.

Bon noticed this, eyes narrowed in a bout of understanding confusion. "Who are you, and why are you watching us?"

Rin frowned and stepped back, fists clenched tightly.

"Are you from the Vatican?" Bon asked again.

The word had a snarl ripping past Rin's lips, anger and hatred pooling in his eyes as he bared his teeth threateningly.

The action threw Bon off, but the man was already gone, sprinting off campus and down the sidewalk around the wall.

Bon chased after him, but as he turned the stone corner, the mysterious male had vanished into thin air.

Walking back around, Bon caught the stares of his friends. He shook his head, signaling he'd gotten nothing out of the guy.

* * *

Rin's heart raced, blood pumping through his veins so quickly, he was afraid he would burst at the seams.

Slowing down at a crosswalk, Rin leaned over, pants exiting him.

Rin's throat developed a sick lump, but he had already raced behind the bushes, flinging himself to his knees as he heaved in the grass out of sight.

Rin's vision swam as he got up and traipsed back into public view. People and objects blurred around him as he stumbled clumsily across the crosswalk, carelessly ignoring the light which was still green.

The images around him started to spin as he caught the sound of an ear-splitting shriek of tires against blacktop and many screams alongside it.

A screech, a thump, his body rolled, burning pain wrapped around him, and he was out like a light.

* * *

When he awoke, he groaned. These types of situations were getting much too frequent for the half demon's liking.

As he sat up, he expected himself to be sore but quickly came to the conclusion that he felt fine. He thanked the positives to demonic healing.

Rin swung his legs off the bed, pushing himself up and standing. He glanced around and noticed he was wearing a hospital gown.

He stiffened before calming down, remembering that people without a temptaint couldn't see the misplaced appendage just above his hips.

The door handle turned and opened, a man, a doctor if Rin had to guess, walking in, clipboard in hand.

The doctor looked up and frowned. "You're awake! But sir, you need to lie back down. You were hit by a car and-"

Rin had gotten enough information about the incident, so he quickly bashed the doctor over his head with his own fist, watching the body crumble ungracefully to the floor.

Rin hummed, bending down and picking up the clipboard, fingering through the pages and looking at his statistics.

As he read, he noticed a lot of the abnormalities about him were listed on these papers. Thankfully, he also realized that these were recently written, and no computer had a file on them yet.

Thanking whatever deity had blessed him with such luck, his hand burst into blue flames, igniting the papers and burning them to ash.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Rin gathered his clothes in the corner, hastily shoving them on and preparing to climb out the window.

A knock sounded on the door. "Mr. Kobuto?" A lady's voice asked. "The woman, Ms. Kirigakure, is here to see the young man. The one who found him, yes?"

Rin stiffened at the name. No way...

"Mr. Kobuto?" She knocked again.

Rin hissed under his breath, unlatching the window and opening it, night air seeping in.

"Did you hear that?" Shura's voice crept through the cracks of the door.

"Mr. Kobuto?!" The nurse panicked, knocking urgently this time. "Mr. Kobuto?!"

Rin was already in position on the windowsill as the door was kicked open by a flame-haired woman.

Both nurse and secret exorcist looked at the unconscious doctor and back to Rin's form sitting on the edge of the open window.

He smiled apologetically at them and raised his hand to wave goodbye before falling backwards and out of the window.

Both women rushed to watch him fall but were surprised when there was nobody there by the time they looked.

The nurse bit her lip and backed away, walking over and bending down to examine Mr. Kobuto.

Shura frowned when she noticed a clipboard beside him piled with a small stack of ashes.

Her eyes looked out of the window again, the stars lighting up the ink sky, almost blue in light.

"Who are you?" She murmured. "And what are you doing?"

* * *

Rin vanished into a whirl of satanic flames, reappearing back on the ground out of sight from any passerby.

He glanced around before taking off and sprinting down the dark sidewalks in the night.

He needed to get to the Cram School. He had to.

* * *

Rin crept around the corner of his old dorm that he used to share with Yukio. If there was any way to get to the Cram School, this was it.

The only thing he had to do was take the key, and luckily, he knew just where Yukio hid it.

His stealth training kicked in as he leapt to the top window, peeking into the dark room he knew his brother and his younger self slept.

In a whirl of flames, he dissipated before reappearing in the middle of the room silently, lighting the room up with blue light for a second before darkness came once more.

Creeping over to the drawer next to Yukio's bed, he could feel the younger breathing on his back.

Ignoring the air, he quietly opened the drawer and dug to the bottom. He pulled out a manga he knew the male only had to hide the key and opened it to the twentieth page, smirking when he found the key.

He picked it up, clutching it in his grip tightly. Putting everything back in its place and shutting the drawer, he stood up and crept over to the closet.

Clicking the key in the hole, he opened it and grinned at the abnormal sight of a bridge in the air behind a normal closet door.

Suddenly, a gun click sounded behind him. Rin stiffened. "What do you think you're doing?" Yukio's voice asked calmly. Even so, Rin had learned long ago that that tone was dangerous in its own right.

Rin put his hands up and turned around to face his sleep-haggard brother, not very surprised to see his younger self awake next to him. He knelt down on his knees as to seem smaller.

"Drop the key," Yukio demanded.

Rin did so, nudging it gently over to Yukio's feet.

"Who are you?" His younger self growled. "And what are you doing in our dorm? How'd you know about the key?!"

Rin said nothing, he couldn't even if he had wanted to.

"Answer us," Yukio commanded, gun still stiff and on target. The threat was obvious.

Rin shook his head, slowly as to not set them off, bringing his hands down to lift his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Yukio asked stiffly.

Rin shook his head more vigorously this time, looking down and observing the seal on his chest, the one seal that had nothing to do with the Vatican.

His younger self and Yukio glanced down, noticing the seal as well.

"That looks like the one Shura has," the younger Rin said.

"It does..." Yukio agreed.

Rin looked up. He had to be cautious. These people didn't know who he was. They didn't know who they were to him.

Rin pointed to the seal on his chest, asking for permission.

The younger half demon frowned in confusion, but Yukio seemed to understand. "You have something in that seal."

Rin nodded, pointing again.

Yukio held the gun firmly but nodded tightly, giving assent.

Rin nodded back, holding his hand over his stomach and closing his eyes. A blue light lit his tattoo up, glowing and brightening the room just a little bit more.

His younger self gasped while Yukio stood stiffly.

Rin felt a familiar hilt touch his palm as he gripped it, sliding it from his seal.

In his hand, Rin held Kurikara. Yukio and the younger Rin held their breath in shock.

"The Koma sword," Yukio breathed.

"But that's not possible!" The younger Rin exclaimed, clutching his covered sword to his chest. "Kurikara's right here!"

Rin nodded in agreement but slid a finger across the blade of the Kurikara he held.

After a second, he placed Kurikara next to him on the floor and held his hand over the seal again, sliding something else out. His fist tightened around it, but he reluctantly held it out, offering it to Yukio.

Yukio held out his hand and felt something light drop in it. When Yukio looked down, he gasped.

There sat a small photo, slightly charred but still intact enough to tell what it was. The picture was of two boys who looked so very similar to Yukio and his brother that it was disturbing, but they looked the slightest bit older.

The one who looked like Rin had his tongue sticking out at the camera, peace sign in the air with a big toothy grin. A very familiar tail was wagging behind him.

The male who looked like him was smiling widely, glasses a bit crooked and his hand on the other's head.

They both looked so happy.

Rin watched his younger twin's reaction. The picture...he hadn't looked at the thing in years, not since they had died. He'd hidden it in his seal for safe keeping. He couldn't let the Vatican take all of his memories.

Yukio gripped it. "There's no way...you can't be..."

"Yukio..?" His younger self crept closer to his brother. "What is it?"

Yukio held out the paper to his brother and watched as he gasped quietly. "What is...?"

Yukio shook his head. "I don't know."

Turning back to the man on the floor, Yukio narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

The man merely pointed to the younger Rin.

Yukio felt his suspicions were confirmed. "No..."

"Yukio?" Fifteen-year-old Rin had always been a bit more oblivious.

"I think...Rin, I think this guy might be you..." Yukio said hesitantly.

"What?!" He exclaimed. "That's crazy!"

"Rin, he has Kurikara! He had that picture! It looked like us if we were older! That can't be a coincidence!"

The younger Rin went silent. "I want proof."

Rin let his body flicker with blue fire, warmth enveloping him.

Yukio's eyes widened. "That proof enough for you?"

The younger Rin gaped at the sight. "You're me...from the future?"

The man, Rin, shrugged, face still void of emotion. He let his tail sneak out from under his shirt and let it lie beside him on the wooden floorboards, flames still flickering in his hair and on his arms and legs.

"Can't you talk?" His younger self frowned.

Rin furrowed his eyebrows, lifting a hand and rubbing his throat. He opened his mouth to attempt speaking, but every time he tried to say something, his throat wouldn't work. Slowly, he shook his head.

"You were watching us today at school," Yukio remembered. By this point, his gun was lowered and back on safety.

Rin nodded, face blank.

Yukio wanted to know why, but knew that the future Rin had no ability to speak. Instead, a question that had been bumping in his head stirred. "Why won't you smile?"

Rin cocked his head, confusion shining in dark blue eyes, but his expression didn't change.

Yukio frowned but asked again. "You haven't smiled at all. Why?"

Rin blinked before looking down blankly. His tail curled toward him, and he frowned.

"Nii-san?" Yukio asked gently.

Rin made a choking noise and bolted backwards, slamming his back against the now closed closet door. His head snapped up, eyes wide with shock and surprise. His heart hammered in his chest at high speeds, threatening to jump out.

"Woah!" The younger Rin jerked in surprise. "Are you-"

Rin shook his head violently, a growl rumbling in his chest, baring his teeth.

The memories of the Vatican yelling at him, mocking him, was too much. There was one who sounded so much like his brother, and the Vatican knew it. They used it to their advantage, the man calling him "Nii-san" and "Rin" and other things.

His instincts, his training, and everything the Vatican had drilled into his head came flooding back, taking over his mind with one word.

Yukio and the younger half demon jerked back as the older Rin burst into a bonfire of flames, snarling dangerously and leaping to attack.

Yukio cried out in shock, grabbing his gun and firing out of reflex. Rin dodged, leaping out of the line of fire, and propelling himself off of the wall and back towards the male.

Yukio fired again, but he jumped away, digging claws that had begun to lengthen into the ceiling and clinging there.

Both Yukio and the younger Rin stared in horror at the flaming demon above their heads, glaring down at them with sharp teeth and red pupils, tail slashing behind him.

"What the hell is wrong with him?!" The younger Rin asked.

"I don't know, but he's somehow in demon form without unsheathing Kurikara!" Yukio said.

"Yukio..." The younger Rin breathed in shock. "Look."

Yukio looked to where Rin was facing and saw the future Kurikara still lying on the floor without a sheath. The shock? It wasn't on fire.

"What...?" Yukio gasped.

They didn't have time to dwell on it as the older Rin leapt from the ceiling.

Both dodged, and Rin went crashing through the door into the hall.

" **Rin**!" Kuro's voice echoed down the hall. " **Are you okay? What's going on?!** "

Kuro came racing down the hall only to stop when he saw someone covered in blue flames, but it didn't look like Rin.

"Kuro!" The younger Rin cried. "Get out of here! It's not safe!"

Kuro frowned. He looked at Rin and back at the male covered in blue fire. He didn't look like Rin, but he smelled like him. " **Why does he smell like you, Rin?!** "

"Because he is me!" Rin cried, dodging another slash to the face. "Something's wrong! He just went crazy!"

Kuro raced forward, jumping in between his Rin and the older one. " **Stop it! What are you doing?!** "

" **Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill...** " The older Rin chanted in Kuro's head. Kuro's eyes widened. " **Danger, danger, threat, threat. Needs to be neutralized. Stop...stop mocking him! Stop mocking my brother!** "

Rin leapt forward for the younger Rin again but was stopped once more by Kuro.

" **Rin!** " Kuro alerted his master. " **I don't know what's wrong, but he keeps saying that you're mocking his brother!** "

"What?!" The younger Rin cried. "What's that even mean?!"

" **I don't know!** " Kuro whined.

Kuro turned back to the older Rin and steeled himself. " **Rin! It's me, Kuro!** "

The future Rin paused for a second, blinking dizzily. " **K...Kuro?** "

" **Why are you attacking us?** " Kuro asked.

" **I can't...can't let them mock him, can't let them mock his death...mock their deaths. I can't...** " Rin breathes heavily.

" **What are you talking about?** "

" **The Vatican took everything from me....my memories, my freedom, my emotions, my family! They turned me into a weapon, they called me Nii-san just to mock Yukio, they beat me, they whipped me! I was a slave! They took you from me, too...They took everything!** " Rin roared, the sound so very animalistic. " **You're all fake! Stop mocking them! Stop mocking me!** "

Rin lunged at Kuro just as the demon cat began to grow, throwing Rin off.

Kuro turned and grabbed the younger Rin and Yukio with his teeth, running down the halls and out of the front doors.

"Kuro!" Yukio cried. "Where are you going?!"

" **Away from Rin's future self,** " Kuro answered. " **He's delusional right now, and it's not good! I think I know what set him off!** "

"What?!" His Rin asked.

" **We need to get to the Cram School! Where's the key?** " Kuro asked, ignoring his master's panic.

"Yukio, do you have the key?" The younger Rin asked his brother.

"Well, yeah," Yukio held it up. "I grabbed it after your future self dropped it."

Kuro turned to the right, leaping down under the bridge and dropping them, shrinking down to his normal size. " **Open the door! We have to lead Rin's future self into the Cram School and then we can calm him down, but we can't do it out here! People will see!** "

Suddenly, fifteen-year-old Rin was slammed to the ground by a large tiger with bluish black fur. It roared in his face, fangs bared dangerously.

"Rin!" Yukio cried, pulling out his gun.

"Open the door, Yukio!" The younger Rin barked in a choked voice, struggling to push the animal off of him.

Yukio plunged the key into the lock and whipped the door open just as Kuro grew larger and attacked the tiger.

The younger half demon scrambled up, and both of them rushed into the hallway. "Kuro!" Yukio barked. "Come on!"

Kuro leapt off of the tiger and shrunk, sprinting to the door with a large tiger behind him.

"Where'd that random tiger come from?!" The younger Rin asked.

" **It's not random! Can't you tell?! It's Rin!** " Kuro answered as he leapt into his Rin's arms.

"What?!" He screeched. "Me?!"

" **Go, go, go!** " Kuro urged in a panic.

Both twins ducked and lunged to the side as the tiger barged through the open door and into the Cram School hallway.

The surrounding bang swung the door shut, and Yukio grabbed his gun.

"Stop!" Rin told his brother. "That's me!"

"You?!" Yukio gaped.

"That's what Kuro said!"

"What the hell do we do?!" Yukio asked.

Rin turned to Kuro as they raced down the halls. "You gonna tell us or what?!"

" **I think you guys are dead in the future! I'm dead, Yukio's dead, your friends are dead! From what I heard, the Vatican tortured him! They turned him into a killing machine, and I think this is the result! They used to mock him, call him Nii-san just to remind him of Yukio!** "

"Yukio called him that just before he attacked us!" The younger Rin remembered.

" **It probably reminded him of that! He thinks we're fake!** "

"Then how do we snap him out of it?!" He asked.

" **Prove to him we're real! I don't know how though!** "

"What's he saying!?" Yukio asked loudly. Rin repeated what his familiar had said.

Yukio closed his eyes. "God damnit...Rin, call your classmates and tell them to come to the classroom! It's an emergency!"

* * *

" _Hello_?" Bon's voice asked on the other end of the line.

"It's me, Rin! We have a problem!" He screamed into the phone, flinching when a large crash sounded behind him, and a gunshot rang through the halls.

" _What's going on?!_ " Bon asked.

"It's complicated! Get Shima, Koneko, Shiemi, and Izumo over here! Hell, if you can, grab Shura! Yukio said it was an emergency, and I can't really argue!"

" _Rin, what's going on!?_ "

"No time to explain!" Rin ducked under the fireball sent at his head. "Just get to Yukio's classroom ASAP! Before we die!"

Rin ended the call before Bon could start asking more questions. It'd take forever for them to get there if he kept talking.

* * *

When Rin and Yukio finally made it to the classroom, his friends and Shura were already there.

Yukio slammed the door behind them, and shoved a couple desks in front, clutching his chest.

Rin panted. "We...have...an issue..."

Shura crossed her arms. "Oh, really?"

"You know that guy that was watching us today?" Yukio asked rhetorically.

"Yeah..." Izumo nodded.

"Well, he may or may not be my future self who's kind of trying to murder us right now," Rin jabbed his thumb towards the door.

"...What?" They all blanked.

"Yeah..." Rin chuckled nervously. "It was a shock for us, too."

Bon frowned. "Your future self seems kind of...I'm not sure. He didn't seem very happy."

"Yeah," Yukio said sarcastically. "We noticed."

"Why would he try to kill you guys?" Shiemi frowned worriedly.

"It's Yukio's fault!" Rin blurted.

"Rin!" Yukio glared.

Rin shrugged. "Sorry."

"Explanation, please," Shura huffed.

"From what we found out, he can't talk. Why, I'm not sure. It might be damage to his vocal cords, or maybe he simply can't talk because he lacks strength in his vocal cords. He might have been mute for a while before this. He didn't seem to have the aptitude to speak," Yukio explained.

"Rin? Mute? Please," Izumo scoffed. "That'd be a miracle."

"Hey!" Rin glared.

"Actually, it's pretty unsettling," Yukio frowned. "I woke up to find him stealing my Cram School key and attempting to get here. Why is still a mystery to me."

The whole class frowned.

"Kuro told me that he was saying stuff about people mocking you guys," Rin said.

"I thought he couldn't talk?" Konekomaru asked.

"He can't," Rin shook his head. "But demon telepathy is something that exists. Kuro uses it to speak with me, but I only talk to him. I don't use my mind. Apparently, my future self did. He didn't talk, not really, just let Kuro into his thoughts."

"And what was going on in there?" Shima asked.

"From what Kuro told me, our guess is that you guys are all...dead...in the future. I'm the only one alive if he's any proof," Rin explained.

The room was silent.

"He apparently kept ranting about the Vatican mocking him. They took him, took him and turned him into a weapon, a slave, I guess. They mocked your deaths by calling him Rin and Nii-san instead of demon and such," Rin said. "Yukio called him Nii-san in the bedroom, and I guess it set off memories and his instincts. Now, he thinks we're fakes, and we're mocking his friends' and brother's deaths."

"So, what do we do?" Bon asked.

"Prove that we are real," Yukio said. "That's all we can do. He'll burn down the school if we don't do something. Somehow, he's able to go full demon without the help of Kurikara."

"Well, if he's from the future, it's possible he was able to take his heart back," Shura shrugged.

"Take my heart back?" Rin asked.

Shura laughed. "You didn't honestly think that your demon side would be sealed forever, did you? Once you master your flames, you'll start learning how to control your demon side. If your powers are sealed forever, it'll eventually overload Kurikara, and it'll be disaster. Your future self probably doesn't have his demon side sealed anymore."

"So that's why..." Yukio realized.

A loud growl and bang on the door made them jump.

"Is that him?" Shiemi squeaked.

"I think so," Shima laughed nervously.

Suddenly, the door burst into blue flames, burning the door to the ground and revealing a large bluish black tiger.

"A...tiger?" Izumo asked.

"That also may or may not be my future self," Rin laughed sheepishly.

The tiger growled, stalking forward as blue flames enveloped it before dying down, revealing an older Rin in demon form, fangs bared and claws at the ready.

The class backed up. "That's not good," Shima muttered.

Shura frowned. "Make him realize we're real, huh? Fine." She confronted Rin, walking up to him.

"Shura, stop!" Yukio barked.

Shura ignored him. "Quit being an idiot, Rin. Is now really the time to be overdramatic?"

The older Rin stopped, paused in the middle of the room with flames still raging around him, and stared at her.

" **Shura, get out of the way. They're all fakes....they're all mocking them! You know that, so stop defending them!** "

The feral growl mixed with a hiss made the class flinch. " **Rin, I think Shura is alive in the future! He's telling her to stop defending us!** " Kuro said.

Rin blinked in realization. "Guys! He recognizes Shura! He's telling her to stop defending us! She's probably alive in the future!"

Shura blinked in a bit of shock at this. So, she had lived, too? "Rin, this is real. You're in the past. We're not fake, do you understand? I'm not fake, they're not fake. Don't you trust me?"

The older Rin blinked before snarling again. "Liar...liar...LIAR, LIAR, LIAR!"

The class gasped as he spoke; although, the voice was distorted.

"You're a liar! Everyone I love...IS DEAD!" The male screamed, knocking Shura into a wall with his tail.

"Rin! No!" Shiemi screamed, rushing forward.

"Shiemi, stop!" Yukio barked.

"DEAD! THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" The future Rin snarled angrily.

Shiemi lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him. "Rin...we're not dead. We're right here. I'm right here."

Rin stiffened, looking down at the blonde girl. "Shiemi..."

The flames died down as his ears and nails shrunk, pupils turning black, and teeth dulling. The canines still stayed sharp though.

He dropped to his knees and pulled his hair. "God damnit..."

Shiemi knelt down in front of him. "Rin..."

"Leave me alone," his voice cracked, probably from the lack of use in his vocal cords. "Just...get away from me."

Now that his voice wasn't so distorted, they could all tell his voice was a bit deeper than their Rin's.

Shiemi shook her head. "No."

"What the hell do you mean "No"?" Rin hissed.

"I mean no," Shiemi gripped his arm. "It's okay, Rin. It's not your fault."

Rin didn't move for a moment before he looked up and stared at his friends and brother. "Where's Shura?"

"Right here, idiot," she said from the side. Rin turned to look at her walking toward him. "Next time, refrain from throwing me into a wall. My back is killing me," she groaned, cracking it.

"Thanks," he said, no emotion showing on his face.

"For what?" She asked curiously.

"For trying to help me, I guess," he shrugged. "Also, for helping me escape the Vatican."

"I did that?" Shura asked.

"Yeah, you did. You helped me remove any seals and binds they had on me. It was pretty easy, considering you managed to persuade them a few years before to give you control over them for my sake. You fed me when they weren't looking," Rin said. "You basically helped me survive. So...thanks."

Shura shrugged. "No problem, kid."

Rin rolled his eyes, standing up and stretching. "Well, I got my voice back. That's going to make things a lot easier."

"What was wrong with it in the first place?" Izumo asked.

Rin shrugged. "I haven't talked since your guys' death. I had no need. My vocal cords were pretty weak."

His voice held no emotion. He sounded as if he could care less.

"Man, what is with you?" Bon glared.

"Excuse me?" Rin asked.

"You haven't smiled, and you sound like you could care less that we died. You're like a robot," Bon said.

Rin stared at him. "I guess I should be crying and telling you guys how much I missed you? Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but after being tortured, beat, whipped, and turned into a monster who's used for murder, I'm not capable of doing that. My chance for freedom, my chance to have somebody care for me, was taken the night you guys died, the night the Vatican decided I was to be bred as a weapon. They wanted a weapon, they got a weapon. Unfortunately, weapons can turn out to be a bit more than what you want. I was one of those."

"Then why are you here?" Yukio asked.

"Because I don't want him to be a weapon," Rin pointed to his younger self. "I'll repeat, I'm not going to weep over you or hug anyone, but it doesn't change the fact that you had all been my friends at one point, and that's never going to change. I still have a heart with emotions. I just don't show it. I can't afford to."

Shiemi's eyes filled with tears. "Rin..."

Rin shrugged, stretching his arms behind his back and ruffling his own hair lazily. "I will admit, I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle seeing you all again. But I guess I've mourned enough over four years. Doesn't make it hurt any less, unfortunately, but that's personal business I'll have to deal with on my own."

They frowned at his words, but Shura raised an eyebrow. "How exactly are you going to change the past? How are you going to stop Rin from being turned into what you are?"

"Shura!" Yukio gasped at her lack of sympathy.

"No," the older Rin interrupted. "She's correct. Someone needed to address it sometime. And the Vatican was the cause of your deaths. They were unable to do anything to me with you guys on my side, but with you out of the picture, I was a free grab. So they planned your murder and used familiars to murder you on a fake mission they set up."

"Then what do we do?" Konekomaru asked. "Not go on missions?"

"Of course not," Rin scoffed. "The way I see it, we have two options. Either you guys quit being exorcists and completely cut yourselves off from the Vatican, or I go on a massacre to kill the whole organization."

"There has to be another way!" Shiemi gasped.

"Personally, I'd go for the massacre. Cutting yourselves off might not stop them. I mean, they are planning to kill you around a year from now. If I kill them now, it's revenge for me and early justice for you. Win win, right?" Rin said blankly, ignoring Shiemi's words.

"That's not a "win win," Rin!" Bon yelled. "That's inhumane!"

Rin shrugged. "Tomato, tomoto, potato, pototo. They didn't care about what was humane when they were dealing with me. Why should I care about it when I deal with them?"

"Because you're better than them!" Bon cried.

"No, I'm not!" Rin barked, and the room grew eerily silent. "I'm sorry, but I'm not better than them! I'm worse!"

Rin scowled, turning his back on them. "You know what? It doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter at all. You want to know why? Because you're all dead. You guys died because of me, because of the Vatican, and I'm never going to let that go, no matter what you say. I'm going to do what I want, no matter what you say."

"I don't care what you think. I'm doing whatever it takes to make sure you live."

Rin stalked out of the room, turning to look at them. "And don't try to stop me."

The students and teachers looked at each other.

"We're stopping him, right?" The younger Rin asked.

"Oh, hell yeah," Bon smirked.

* * *

It was noon the next day when a bang of doors made the Grigori jump, heads turning to see who dared to barge into their residence.

"Who dares-"

"I dare," the male stomped forward. He had blue-tinted raven hair with blood red strips, pointed ears with two small hoops on each, fangs, rune-like tattoos decorating his arms, blue eyes, and wore black combat boots, jeans with a chain, and a simple black tee.

"Who are you?!" Arthur A. Angel asked in disgust.

"Me?" The man smirked dangerously. "My name...is Rin Okumura, and I'm from five years in the future. And you are all going to pay for what you've done to me and my family."

Blue flames lit up the room. "Get ready to burn, motherfuckers."

* * *

A few hours previous, Yukio, Rin, Shura, and the rest of the exwires were preparing to stop Rin's future self.

"I still can't believe that's Rin, even if he is from the future," Shiemi said quietly. "He's so much more..."

"Badass?" Izumo suggested with a smirk. "Dangerous? Mysterious? Dark? Hot? I can keep going if you want. It just keeps getting better."

Bon glared at her. "He's also a lot crueler, more ruthless, and doesn't seem to be too keen on negotiation."

Out of reflex, everyone turned their eyes to Rin. Rin stared at them with confusion before glaring and throwing his hands up. "Why are you all staring at me?! I'm not the one planning to murder the whole Vatican!"

"Yes, you are," Shima corrected.

"You know what I mean!" Rin glared at him. "Besides, try and put yourself into his shoes. I mean, you'd have the same attitude, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Yukio admitted. "but it doesn't mean we can just let him do what he wants. Especially when we know it's wrong."

"I know that," Rin huffed, crossing his arms. "I'm just saying, lay off a little."

"He knows it's wrong, too," Shura pointed out. "He just doesn't care too much for morals."

"Another thing we can add to the list of things wrong with him," Bon groaned. "Yay!"

"So how are we going to stop him? Nothing we say is going to convince him," Konekomaru said.

"What if..." Shiemi started quietly. They all turned to her. "What if we can't do anything? What if he follows through with it, and we don't stop him? What do we do then?"

"We'll stop him, Shiemi," Yukio told her gently.

"But what if we don't?" Shiemi asked. "Just...what if?"

Yukio sighed. "Then we'll just have to deal with what comes after. For now, stay optimistic. Rin will have a plan, too, so we have a bit of time before he acts."

"We don't know how much time though," Izumo pointed out.

"Right," Shura smiled. "So, we better start thinking."

"I've got an idea," Bon said. "Here it is..."

* * *

"We snuck into the Vatican Headquarters," Shima said. "I repeat, we snuck into the Vatican Headquarters. How is this okay?!"

"Oh, it's fine," Shura waved him off. "If we're caught, I'll bail us out."

"That makes me feel so much better," Yukio drawled sarcastically.

"Shut it, four eyes," she snapped.

Rin rolled his eyes. "You guys are worse than Bon and me."

"Oh, please," Izumo guffawed. "Nobody's worse than you two."

The bang that echoed throughout the room caught the attention of Shura, Yukio, and the exwires.

"Who dares-"

"I dare," the older Rin's voice bounced off the walls as he strode through the doors.

"Who are you?!" Angel asked in disgust.

"Me?" He smirked dangerously, the first smile, if it could be called that, they'd seen from him. "My name...is Rin Okumura, and I'm from five years in the future. And you are all going to pay for what you've done to me and my family."

The class couldn't believe Rin had just revealed his identity. But to be fair, the older Rin figured the whole organization would be dead in a few moments.

Blue fire flickered before setting the room aflame. "Get ready to burn, motherfuckers," Rin's future self grinned sadistically.

"Uh, I think we should do something," Konekomaru said meekly. The flames had blanketed the whole room, and it was already too close to the class for comfort, slowly inching closer and closer to their hiding spot at the top floor where they looked down at Rin and the rest.

Angel unsheathed his sword. "I'd always knew you'd turn into a beast. Even after all of your words, they were all lies. Such a pity."

The older Rin scowled, flames covering him. "I hope you know that I wasn't the one who betrayed you bastards. You were the ones who planned my family's deaths, you were the ones who turned me into a mindless killing machine and made me into a slave. This...this is your fault. I'm going to kill all of you, and I'm going to make sure that you never harm my family. Ever. Again," his canines grew longer, his usual flat teeth turning sharp. He cracked his jaw. "I hope you have all of your regrets settled. It'd be so sad for you to die with them."

Pulling Kurikara from its seal, he swung it down, intending to slice Angel's head off.

"I thought his Kurikara was left at the dorm!" The younger Rin gaped.

"He probably went back to get it," Yukio cursed. "Damnit!"

"The plan is never going to work now!" Bon hissed. "He wasn't supposed to have Kurikara! The whole plan settled on that factor!"

"Well, then we'd better hope that Angel or one of the Grigori can take him," Shura frowned.

"Or what?" Shiemi sqeaked.

"Or we burn," she answered nonchalantly.

"Yay," Shima laughed nervously.

Angel blocked the blow with his sword, gritting his teeth. "You've gotten much stronger," Angel commented.

"I had to," Rin grinned. "Sorry to tell you, but you won't win. I know all of your moves. After all, you were one of the people who trained me. Too bad your precious weapon decided to turn on you."

Rin lunged, a blur faster than Angel could ever hope to be, and swung his sword swiftly to the side, aiming for his hip.

Angel barely dodged, getting scraped in the process. He grit his teeth. "Demon scum..."

"Why, thank you," Rin barked a laugh, jumping backward and speeding behind the Paladin faster than the eye could see. He struck, the sword going through Angel's abdomen like butter.

Angel coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. He dropped to his knees as Rin pulled the sword out. Rin grinned and kicked the exorcist across the room, disappearing and reappearing in front of him before he could hit the wall, kicking him in the opposite direction again.

This abuse continued for a few minutes before Angel's body finally dropped to the floor, Rin's foot on his head.

"It was a pleasure playing with you, Angel, but time's up, and I'm on a short schedule. Sorry!" Rin flashed a dark smile as his foot crushed through the skull of Angel's unconscious body, now a corpse.

The Grigori scowled in anger. "How dare you come in here and slaughter one of us, demon! How dare you make a mockery of us!"

Rin's pupils filled to the rim with red, his rows of teeth sharpening even more. "When you turned me into your mindless slave, you made a mockery of me! You mocked my family's deaths! You have no room to speak!"

One of the Grigori members burst into blue flames, the fire streaming from his nose, ears, mouth, and eyes. He screamed and thrashed in pain before slowly quieting and then collapsing, organs and heart burnt, his corpse charred and black.

Rin hummed, nudging Angel's corpse with his foot uncaringly. "I'd love to stay and chat, maybe play a bit more, but again, I'm on a tight schedule. I have a few people to tell the good news to. They deserve to know what happened to you, but I'm sure they'd figure it out later if I stayed quiet."

"So, as disappointing as this is, I'm going to have to let you burn and cut this party short. Ta ta!" Rin waved playfully and let flames engulf the Grigori members, turning tail and walking towards the doors.

He paused and turned back to the burning and screaming exorcists. "Sorry, forgot to tell you I'll also be burning this whole building to the ground! Can't let any of the exorcists who killed my family get away, can I?" With that said, Rin stalked out.

The class looked at each other in disbelief.

"Yuki?" Shiemi asked in fear.

"Yeah?" Yukio breathed.

"We have to deal now. What comes after?" Shiemi whimpered.

"Nothing if we don't get out of here," Bon hissed as flames continued to consume their surroundings. "Come on!"

* * *

Rin stood in front of the building being burnt to the ground by his blue flames, smiling triumphantly as it lit up the darkening sky.

"Rin!" The echo of his name had him glancing around wildly.

"Rin! Up here!"

Looking up, he saw his friends, younger self, and brother standing on top of the burning building.

His eyes widened. "You idiots!" He let his own flames engulf him, reappearing next to his friends. "What are you morons doing up here?!"

"Escaping through the roof skylights!" Bon growled. "What do you think we're doing?!"

"Being stupid," Rin answered. "Why were you in the Vatican Headquarters?!"

"Trying to stop you, obviously, but when we realized you had Kurikara, our plan went out the window," Izumo said.

Rin sighed in exasperation. "Jesus Christ..."

"Can we please get down now before we start burning, too?" Shima asked.

Rin sighed but smiled. They all blinked in surprise when they saw it. It wasn't a smirk or a sadistic grin. It was a true, genuine smile. "God, I missed you guys."

"What happened to your big talk about not being able to afford showing emotion? About everything else?" Shura asked.

Rin grinned. "Well, I think the cause of all my pain and suffering has been eradicated, so I guess I'm feeling a bit better than normal."

"Does that mean you'll start hugging us?" The younger Rin laughed.

Rin rolled his eyes. "Don't push it."

The younger version grinned. "Oh, come on-"

Rin pursed his lips irritably and kicked the boy in the back, sending him flying off the building.

"Rin!" His friends and brother cried before staring incredulously at the older Rin.

"What?" He shrugged innocently. "He'll be fine. I've fallen from higher."

They continued to gape at him. Rin rolled his eyes. "The screams'll die down after he hits the ground, don't worry. Come on."

He made sure to engulf them all in flames and then disappeared right along with them.

* * *

They all reappeared right on the ground next to the younger Rin's groaning body. "Damnit, that hurt..."

"Oh, suck it up," his future self rolled his eyes. "We both know you've taken worse, and I know I have over the years. You'll only be a little sore."

The younger Rin pushed himself off the ground, his body protesting as pain shot through him. He glared at his future self. "Was pushing me off the building really necessary?"

Rin laughed. "Of course not! But I did tell you not to push it."

They all turned back to watch blue flames consume the building, slowly turning it to ash.

"Did you have to do it?" Yukio asked. "Was it worth it?"

"You don't understand," the older Rin said. "You could never understand what I went through, what they did to me, and what they did to you. I didn't have to, nobody has to kill anyone, but it was worth it. I know it was."

"You don't regret your decision?" Shura asked.

"I've regretted a lot of things," Rin admitted. "I've regretted not escaping sooner, I've regretted being too weak to save you all, I've regretted running like a coward, and I've regretted much more. But this? No, I don't regret it. There's not a fiber in my being that regrets this except the fact that there's a good chance you hate me for it."

"We could never hate you, idiot," Bon scowled. "It was wrong, yeah, we all know that, but you're right. We don't understand what you went through and what happened, so we can't judge you much."

Rin grinned, cocking his head like a dog. "Yeah. Yeah, I really, really missed you guys."

* * *

"So, what are you going to do now?" Konekomaru asked as they all got to Rin and Yukio's dorm. By this time, it was around eight or nine.

"Not sure. There's a possibility that if I go back to my time, everything will be fixed, but I'd be changed too much, and that probability is very low," the older Rin shrugged. "I would've quit being an exorcist long ago if it weren't for the Vatican, so maybe I'll just travel around."

"But...didn't you want to defeat Satan?" His younger self asked.

"I didn't need to be an exorcist to continue my goal of kicking the bastard's ass into the dirt," Rin laughed. "Besides, as strong as I am now, I still need to grow stronger. When it comes to fighting him, my limits can not exist."

Rin grinned as his younger self. "You're a lot farther away from your goal than I am, trust me on that, but I only became so strong because of the Vatican. Another one of the positives to being their slave, I suppose. Fortunately, you won't be going through that train wreck, so you'll have to train harder than you ever have. You'll have to put your blood, sweat, and soul into training."

The younger Rin narrowed his eyes determinedly and clenched his fists. "Teach me!"

"Excuse me?" Rin asked in shock. "Please repeat that."

"Train me! Teach me! You say you're not strong enough yet, but you're so much closer than I am! I want to learn everything there is to know about fighting demons!" The younger Rin exclaimed.

"Look, half of what I do involves my demon half, and you're no where near learning to control that. Hell, you can't even use your flames to teleport yet, much less shape shift," Rin pointed out.

"Then train me! Teach me how!"

"What about Shura?" The older Rin questioned.

Shura waved her hand, rolling her eyes. "Oh, save me the drama. I can teach him, but I admit, I lack experience. I'm not the one with satanic flames and demonic abilities. You're his best bet at this point."

"You've got to be kidding me," Rin blanked. "You're throwing me under the bus here, Shura! I can't-I can't train a child! No offense," he told his younger self. "The only way I know how to train is a bit more brutal than any of you are used to. I can't train him without bringing him to the brink of death every other day! That's-I can't do that!"

"You didn't seem to care much when it came to the Vatican," Shura said.

"Yeah, but those bastards deserved it!" Rin glared. He grabbed his younger self's cheeks and pinched them. "But look at this innocent kid! I can't taint him! I'd never forgive myself!"

"Rin, that's you, remember?" Yukio reminded him.

"I know that!" He snapped. "But he's not tainted yet! He's still such an innocent person!"

The younger Rin pushed his future self away from his face. "Jeez, just quit being weird and do it. I don't care about pain or blood or death! Just train me!"

The older Rin narrowed his eyes. "Fine, but just remember, you asked for it."

The younger Rin smirked triumphantly, but it was cut short as his face was kicked in by a foot, and he was sent flying into a tree with a smack.

"Shit!" The younger Rin yelped. "Dude, what the hell?!"

The older Rin smirked. "Lesson number one, never drop your guard. Stay on alert, and never assume you're safe. Everyone is your enemy."

"Training starts today, and it never ends. I'll come at you when you least expect it, so always expect it. You'll have to learn to suck it up because that wasn't even the beginning." With those words, he was gone a whirl of flames.

"Uh, where's he going?" Shiemi asked.

"Don't know, don't care!" Rin whined. "I'm going to turn into some paranoid crazy person because of this!"

They all laughed.

And if they had looked up, they'd have seen a bunch of twinkling stars blanketing the night, so bright that they seemed to be more, blue tinting their light.

And if they looked even closer, one star seemed to be bluer than the others, brighter and larger. A star that, unknown to them, Rin had looked to during his days with the Vatican for guidance.

And now, as twenty-year-old Rin stood atop a citadel, the breeze brushing his hair back, he watched that star once more, smiling gently it.

It had guided him home, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Finished! There might be a part two, so look out for that! I hope you liked this, I know I did! Bye my doggies!


	17. Blue Exorcist: Silver Crosses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation/companion piece to Blue Stars! If you want to understand this, please read the previous one shot! 
> 
> After angrily storming his half brother's office, twenty-year-old Rin finds himself thrown even farther back in time than he was already stuck. What happens when he gets the chance to see his father again?

The older Rin remained stone-faced as he appeared in front of his younger self during one of Yukio's lectures.

Without warning, he buried his hand into the shoulder of his younger self and shoved straight through.

The class watched in horror as the younger Rin screamed in pain, falling out of his chair as blood soaked through his uniform.

"Rin!" Shiemi shrieked.

"Okumura!" The others gasped.

Even Yukio lost his composure. "Nii-san!"

Rin looked up at his emotionless older self. "Dude! What-?!"

The older merely crossed his arms lazily, blood still coating his fist. "I told you, it's not going to be unicorns and rainbows. You've got to be on guard, and you've already failed the pop quiz."

"Pop quiz?!" The younger Rin gaped.

The older nodded. "Exactly. You've already gotten yourself killed. It doesn't matter if you have a hole in your shoulder. It doesn't matter if you have a hole in your leg, gut, or even your chest. You keep moving, you keep fighting, and you don't hesitate. That's what it means to survive. And if you have a chunk of your head missing, well, you just have to worry about that another time."

"Don't take a chunk out of my head!" The younger Rin cried, folding his palms to shield his skull.

Rin's future self rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. That's not happening for another month or two. Now, it's best you either flee or fight because training starts now. Next time, formalities will be forbidden. I attack, you defend and fight back. I'm your enemy during training, and that's the end of it. If you refuse to follow these rules during the near future, I won't hesitate to lop your head off."

With that said, the older Rin lunged for the younger, red seeping into his pupils and fangs lengthening on instinct.

The younger cried out in surprise, scrambling up and racing out of the classroom, screaming for Shura to "Give me my sword, woman!"

The older growled, tail lashing behind him, racing after his younger self. "Quit relying on your sword, idiot! It'll kill you one day! We're learning hand-to-hand combat before you touch that damned sword of yours, you hear me, brat?! Get back here!"

Yukio rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Rin Okumura! No more disrupting my classes for training!"

"I'll do whatever I damn well please! Deal, old man!" The older barked back, his voice an echo outside the room.

"I'm younger than you!"

"You're the fifteen-year-old teacher, not me!"

Yukio turned back to see his shellshocked students. "Suguro, can you and Shima please clean up the blood? I have to speak with Sir Pheles about this."

"Well," Shima smirked. "At least Rin can still crack a few jokes. I was afraid he'd lost all humor with age."

And when his desk burst into sky-colored flames, nobody said anything else.

* * *

The elder Rin lunged around the corner, teeth bared and claws ready to lunge but was disappointed to find no trace of his younger self.

"I couldn't have lost him," he muttered. "I tracked his scent, and I was right behind him the entire time."

But when he noticed a note with familiar handwriting on it that read, _**Just helping a younger brother out! Don't be so tough! Love, your dear older brother! ;)...**_

Rin kind of snapped.

* * *

Rin smashed Mephisto's door down with his boot, angry snarl on his lips. "Samael, show your stupid ass right now, or so help me, I'll burn this stupid room to ash! He wanted me to train him, I agreed! You're not allowed to help him in any way, and you know that!"

He stalked forward, slamming his hand angrily on the wood of the office desk, stumbling back when a large cuckoo bird sprung out at him.

"What the?!" Rin hissed, drawing Kurikara from his seal and lunging, snarling viciously.

When it opened its mouth and snapped its beak shut, swallowing the male, Rin swore on his dad's grave that he was going to burn every last page of Samael's precious manga when this was over.

* * *

When light returned, and Rin could see, he glanced around, very annoyed when all he saw were trees. "Why is it always the forest?!"

Standing up, he walked quickly forward, using his nose to guide him to civilization.

His nose caught the scent of someone very familiar, and he halted. It shouldn't have been possible to recognize this person's scent since he'd only known them before his demonic awakening, and that meant their scent shouldn't have been distinguishable.

But he remembered holding Kurikara's sheath and cloth, holding the cell phone with Samael's contact on it, the scent lingering on both objects just after his death.

His dad was close. Shiro Fujimoto was alive, and his scent was strong.

Rin didn't need to think too long on the topic. It was obvious that the stupid cuckoo had shoved him even farther into the past than before.

Time travel was beginning to loosen the last few screws Rin still had intact.

His father's scent was much stronger than the lingering ones he'd only gotten whiffs of before they faded after a day or two on the previously mentioned objects. It smelled of honey and beer with an undertone of cigarette smoke, the smell being one of home and safety despite everything else.

Rin already knew from experience that delaying their meeting was futile, and he might as well just approach the man before anything else were to happen. He had almost gotten his head blown out last time by Yukio because he was trying to sneak around for no reason (not really).

His feet were already dragging him toward the scent, overwhelming him in a way that he liked but also produced a dull ache of homesickness in his chest.

He was already out of the trees and shoving his way past men, women, and strangers alike, the only thought on his adopted dad.

When his blue eyes caught sight of the man, he was relieved that he didn't look too recognizable. Looking closer, Shiro looked younger than Rin remembered at fifteen. If his memory served him well, Shiro's appearance signaled that he and Yukio were only around the age of seven to nine, ten maybe, during this time.

Rin's eyes drilled the side of Shiro's head sharply, hoping the man would turn to see him, hopefully feel the stare.

Lucky him, Shiro turned to furrow his eyebrows at Rin from across a sea of people.

Rin smiled at him, a tired but happy smile, and gestures his head urgently, eyes wide with hope. Jerking his head again for an extra effect, Rin turned heel and fled away from the crowd.

If Shiro followed him, then he had plan. If he didn't, well, Rin planned for that contingency, too.

* * *

Rin wasn't going to flee back towards the trees, but he was definitely going somewhere with little to no people.

And the monastery seemed to be a very popular choice at this point.

The scent of Shiro didn't get any lighter, meaning the man was right behind him.

"Hey! Wait! Who are you?" His voice called.

Rin turned to glance back. "Come and find out!"

Turning a sharp corner, the half demon swung on his foot, pivoting around and sprinting straight for the monastery.

He remembered growing up in it, laughing in it, playing in it, sleeping in it, celebrating in it, eating in it, and living in it.

He remembered doing everything there. It was his home.

Fighting back tears that he hadn't shed in years, he headed towards the gates but skidded to a stop right before hitting it.

He could barge through, and it might have been unlocked, but knowing his dad, he probably had demon wards surrounding the place. In fact, Rin could feel them buzzing with power.

"What are you doing?" Shiro's voice approached from behind him. "Who are you? How do you know me, and what do you want?"

Rin swallowed and turned to face his dad he hadn't seen in years. "You have demon wards around this place, don't you?"

Shiro narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that?"

"I can feel them," Rin admitted. "It's like static electricity is buzzing right next to me. They're crackling with power. You put a lot of effort into these. Level 11, right?"

"Right before it starts getting illegal," Shiro nodded. "How do you know?"

"Because the Vatican got a certain joy in putting me under large amounts of legal torture," Rin said. "That didn't last long, of course. Illegal wasn't illegal when it came to me after a bit. Nothing ever mattered with me."

He smiled at the man he used to call Dad, pulling down his shirt collar the slightest bit to show the beginning of a large scar on his back, at least four or five inches wide. "I...never really mattered to anyone except you."

"...what?" Shiro frowned. "The Vatican couldn't have done this, they wouldn't...And how do you know me? Who are you?"

"The Vatican would do a lot of things," Rin shook his head. "They'd kill, lie, and cheat just to get what they want. They killed my friends, my brother, just to get to me. They didn't care that despite everything, they were human."

"Exorcists don't kill innocents!" Shiro barked.

"Those monsters weren't exorcists!" Rin objected. "And to them, my brother and friends weren't innocent. My friends had befriended me, and my brother shared blood with me. That made them guilty enough in their eyes."

"What do the Vatican have against you?" Shiro asked. "Who are you, and how do you know me?!"

"The Vatican seemed set on either killing me or turning me into a weapon. With my family and friends out of the way, they had me right where they wanted me. I was used as a tool, a weapon to eliminate threats they didn't want. Until I escaped with the help of one Shura Kirikagure."

"Shura!?" Shiro went wide eyed. "Shura is but a child!"

"Not where I'm from," Rin shook his head. "How old are your boys?"

"How do you-"

"Just humor me," Rin eyed the man.

"They're eight," Shiro reluctantly answered.

Rin smiled mysteriously. "Where I'm from, Shura is twelve years older than she is now. She was my mentor, someone I considered a friend, and she was the only one out of all my loved ones that survived because of her affiliation with the Vatican. Instead of running away and cutting herself from them, she endured and followed their ways, ways she knew weren't right, just to help me. She didn't want me to be turned into a weapon. Unfortunately, she couldn't save me from that fate. But if she hadn't been there for those four years of pure torment, I would have been a lot worse off. I'm not...not the same person I used to be, but I like to think I'm still better than I could have been because of her."

"Are you talking about...time travel?" Shiro asked skeptically.

"I've already traveled five years in the past before I got here," Rin laughed, and if it sounded a bit off and psychotic, Shiro didn't comment. "And as I storm Sam-Mephisto's office, a cuckoo bird swallows me whole, and I'm here. Just seven years further back!"

"Do I know you in the future or something?" Shiro asked dreadfully. "You can't tell me I'm one of those people who..."

"What?" Rin jerked. "Hell no, you stupid old man! The hell gave you that moronic idea?!"

"I-"

"Like hell you'd ever be one to do something as disgusting as that! No, you're the only one who ever had complete faith in me!" Rin exclaimed.

Shiro frowned.

"Even when you're younger than I can remember, you're still a senile old man!" Rin groaned. "Can't recognize me?"

"No," Shiro admitted.

"The Vatican didn't like the fact that other exorcists were buddy buddy with a demon," Rin let his tail hang free, swaying it back and forth with grace as he took a couple steps back towards the wards.

Holding a hand out, he touched the gate, face blank as his body convulsed with sudden volts of electricity. He withdrew his hand just as the gate gave one last shudder before collapsing.

Calmly, Rin nodded towards the fallen entrance. "That said, another part of me is human. It confuses lots of people, but it didn't confuse my friends, at least not for long. Of course, my birth father was all that mattered to most. I was his son, and despite the fact that I was raised as a human with my little twin brother and adopted father, both of who were human, that's all that mattered to the Vatican."

Rin frowned. "At age fifteen, I lose my adopted dad because he protects me from my birth father by stabbing himself during the time he was possessed by him. And at age sixteen, I lose my friends and brother to the Vatican after they murder them all mercilessly, just to get possession of me."

"You still haven't answered me!" Shiro barked.

Rin snarled, pupils bleeding red and fangs lengthening in frustration. "Dammit, old man! Take a hint! Does none of that sound familiar to you?! What do you think would happen to your sons if the Vatican discovered they were the spawns of Satan?! They would have my fate!"

Shiro stumbled back. "You can't possibly know about that!"

"Of course I know!" Rin snarled, claws flexing. "I'm from the future, after all!"

"And it's not like you can hide the truth from me after I burst into blue flames at age fifteen!"

Shiro gasped. "...Rin?"

"About time!" Rin hissed, stalking forward and kicking the old man backward. "How clueless can you get?! You're worse than my younger self! He's a pain in the ass all by himself! I don't need to add you to that list, too!"

Shiro coughed, sitting up and glaring. "Did you have to kick an old man so hard?!"

"You're the Paladin!" Rin rolled his eyes. "And a lot more durable than anyone could ever think. Get up, and quit overreacting!"

Shiro huffed but did so, dusting his pants off. "You've met your younger self?"

"Fifteen years old. Annoying, loud, stupid, and determined. I have to give it to you, I don't understand how you were able to handle me at such an age. Or how Yukio and my friends did it. I always have an urge to kick his face in. Of course, my training is the perfect excuse to do just that. He is the one who asked for it, after all."

"Well, I always knew taking care of a teenage you would be a challenge. I was prepared," Shiro cocked his head. "You're not what I expected you to be at age...twenty, was it, if I did my math correctly."

Rin nodded. "Twenty, yes. At age eight or fifteen, I didn't imagine who I am now was what I was to become. Of course, you can thank the Vatican for that one."

Shiro frowned. "I failed to protect you."

"It's not like you could have done much buried six feet under," Rin shrugged. "Besides, when I escaped, it wasn't even a minute after before I was transported five years back and found my younger self. I refused to let the Vatican kill the last of my loved ones, so I murdered the Grigori, the Vatican, and burnt the whole Vatican Headquarters to the ground. I've been there for a few months until now."

"You massacred the whole Vatican?!" Shiro burst in shock.

Rin frowned and crossed his arms. "Well, yeah. What was I supposed to do? It was wrong, I know that, but I changed. I didn't care about anything else but my family. I'm not the Rin you know, and I'm not the Rin you will know. Yukio and the others didn't like it either, and they attempted to stop me, but their plan kind of backfired if what they told me was true."

Shiro was silent before sighing. "If what you're saying is true, why are you still with your younger self instead of back in the future?"

"I didn't have anything else left there. The Vatican would be on my tail until my demise. Shura was there, but she made me swear years prior that if I were to ever escape, I was to run and never look back. I was to never try and find her. I was to run, run and escape from everything that involved the Vatican, including her. I didn't like it, but Shura would have never forgiven me if I were to do otherwise."

"So, what? You just decided to train your younger self?"

"He asked, and it's not like I had anything better to do. Years with the Vatican made me stronger, I'll give them that," Rin hummed, kicking dirt.

Shiro cocked his head and examined the male. "I noticed that your demon traits showed without Kurikara being pulled."

"I still have it," Rin said. "if that's what you're worried about. It's in my seal, one similar to the one Shura has on her chest. I am unsure as to whether she has it now though. It's stored in there."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Shiro said.

"I took back my demon heart," Rin shuffled. "I'm sure you know what that means."

"I do," Shiro nodded.

"Good," Rin nodded back. "Now, can you please direct me to Mephisto so he can get me back to my younger self and his friends? I still need to finish today's training session along with burning every last one of Mephisto's manga. He needs to learn that interfering with training does not inquire means of my simply brushing it off."

"What?" Shiro laughed. "Are you ready to leave so soon? Didn't you miss your old man?"

Rin froze.

_"Let me out of here! I'm sick of this!" Rin screeched as he spat in Angel's face. "You're all monsters! Your sick version of justice is wrong! You're all MURDERERS!"_

_"Ready to leave so soon?" Angel smirked dangerously, stabbing Rin through the gut. Rin clenched his teeth._

_"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut your fucking mouth, you motherfucker! I hope you die! I hope you die in Hell! I hope you burn!" Rin pulled desperately at the chains, but it was no use._

_He was sliced across the face as Angel laughed. "I had hoped you'd missed this. But I guess not."_

_Stab after stab, Rin stayed silent. He'd never open his mouth again._

"Rin? Hey, son, are you okay?!" Shiro shook the man's shoulders as his eyes glazed over.

Shaken, Rin blinked back to reality and stepped back, eyes frozen with a cold stone look in them.

"...Rin?" Shiro asked, holding out his hand gently.

Rin looked back to his dad and gave him a shaky smile, Shiro noticing that the man seemed to flinch away from his outstretched hand. "Heh...I'm fine. Just brings back memories!"

Shiro knew that those memories weren't very happy ones. Letting his hand drop, he frowned at the half demon.

Rin bit his lip, chewing it. Tears shimmered in his eyes, but he shut them out of frustration.

"It's okay to cry," Shiro whispered softly.

"No, it's not," Rin growled. "Tears are weakness. I don't-I don't cry, not anymore. It's forbidden, taboo. The Vatican made sure I knew that."

"The Vatican aren't here," Shiro said.

"They'll always be here," Rin frowned. "Physical or not."

His fang caught his lip, slicing it open as fresh blood dripped from the wound. Rin's tongue poked out to lick it before it could fall.

Looking forward, his eyes caught sight of Shiro's sharp pendant dangling in front of his chest, the one he remembered Shiro had stabbed himself with all those years ago.

"Sorry," he muttered, hand lashing out to rip the object away.

Shiro's eyes widened as Rin drove the point straight into his shoulder, then his arm, then his hand.

Blood dribbled down over the rune-like tattoos decorating his arms, dropping to the dirt like rain.

The tears evaporated from Rin's eyes quickly. Rin wiped the blood away from the pendant before handing it back to the Paladin.

"Sorry. Pain is usually the only way to bring me back," Rin apologized grimly.

Shiro gripped the pendant like a lifeline.

* * *

As Rin stepped into the monastery, memories of his childhood ambushed him like an army.

It looked just like he remembered before Satan had utterly demolished the place.

"It looks...just like I remembered," Rin voiced his thoughts. "You know, before Satan tore the place apart."

Shiro smiled. "More demon wards, I guess."

"Ah," Rin winced. "Please don't. Not until I leave at least. You may have deactivated them for the moment, but they're not removed. I can feel them buzzing underneath. It's very uncomfortable."

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "It's hard to imagine you ever becoming a demon, much less this in-tune with your abilities. This means I lost my bet with Mephisto, doesn't it?"

"No shit," Rin rolled his eyes, subconsciously playing with the small hoops of silver on his right ear. "Thankfully, Samael is less of a bastard than he made himself out to be. Still makes himself out to be, actually. Doesn't mean he doesn't still piss me off time and time again."

"You call him Samael?" Shiro asked curiously.

Rin paled rapidly before turning to Shiro and grabbing the man's shoulders, pulling him close to his face. "Don't ever tell him I told you that."

"Why?" Shiro asked, trying to recoil away from the half demon's close face.

"Because if you do, he'll murder me. He will rip me limb from limb and laugh!" Rin told him darkly. "Never ever call him Samael, please!"

Shiro gently pushed the half demon away. "What's so bad about it?"

"Like I know!" Rin threw his hands up. "He just told me if I every called him by that name in front of anyone, I was dead meat. And he doesn't make empty threats!"

"..." Shiro stared at his son in bewilderment.

"Don't look at me like I'm crazy!" Rin screeched. "I'm serious! Tell him I told you, and I'll be dead before I can hurt you!"

"...how is that a threa-"

"It's not!"

* * *

"Mephisto!" Rin barked angrily as he slammed a foot through the demon's office door.

Shiro walked in behind the male, smirking in amusement. He was curious as to how his old colleague and son got along.

Mephisto looked up and smiled. "Ah, hello! And you are...?"

"Stupid clown!" Rin snapped, slamming a hand down on his desk. "Your stupid cuckoo sent me even farther into the past than I already was! What the hell is wrong with your office?!"

"So, you're from the future?" Mephisto clapped his hands and grinned. "Wonderful!"

Rin made a growl noise in his throat and grabbed the demon by the throat, shaking him. "It's not wonderful, you fucker! Tell me how to get back to the time when Rin Okumura is fifteen, or so help me, I will burn every single manga you possess!"

Mephisto began to turn purple as air failed to reach his lungs. "O-okay, ok-ay!!"

Rin dropped the man and stepped back, crossing his arms. "Good."

Mephisto took a deep breath and rubbed his throat, eyeing the half demon. "Rin Okumura, I presume?"

"Twelve years in the future, but I only need to go seven years. My time has gone to shit anyways," Rin glared. "And next time, I suggest you refrain from helping my younger self escape from me. Harsh or not, he asked for training. I'm not going to go easy on him. It'd mean I was going easy on myself, and I won't tolerate that."

"You're definitely not what I expected," Mephisto said.

"I'm not what I expected either," Rin retorted. "but I learned to deal with it."

"You want me to send you to the exact time you disappeared, yes?" Mephisto asked.

"Fuck yeah," Rin glared. "And if you attempt to find any loopholes to fuck with me...your precious manga is taking the hit for it. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Mephisto replied with a pale expression. "But your appearance proves that I do win the bet, yes?"

Rin looked at him blankly before suddenly kicking the man in the chest, sending him flying out the window and to the pavement below.

Shiro looked to the window and back to his son. "Isn't he your ticket out of here?"

"He'll be fine," Rin waved the man's worries off. "I've fallen from higher. He has, too, I'm sure. Plus, I'm tired of you people bringing up the stupid bet. Is that all I'm worth to any of you? A bet?"

"Of course not!" Shiro exclaimed hurtfully.

"I'm joking, old man," Rin rolled his eyes and attempted to give a warm smile to his dad. It turned awkward quickly. "Sorry, it's been a while."

Shiro chuckled. "Obviously."

* * *

After Mephisto recovered from the fall and got back to his office, Rin and Shiro were still there, Rin's expression impatient.

Mephisto pouted at him. "That was rude."

" _I'm_ rude," Rin snapped, eyes narrowed. "Send me back, and if I'm not gone in five minutes, this office, along with your precious manga...is burning."

"Fine, fine," Mephisto said quickly, attempting to placate the half demon. "Give me a moment."

Rin huffed, arms crossed, and turned back to his dad. "So, I guess this is goodbye."

Shiro gave him a sad smile. "Maybe. I'll try harder to protect you."

"Don't," Rin shook his head. "You did a fine job. If you want to do something differently, don't try so hard at all. It only got you killed in the end, after all."

Shiro sighed. "You'll never understand how much you mean to me, how far I'll go to protect you, death or otherwise."

Rin frowned. "Part of me does understand. That part felt the same for all of my friends and Yukio. That part of me makes me feel like I would have died for them, would have killed others, killed myself for them. Another part of me doesn't understand. That part didn't feel like that at all. It makes me feel like I need to preserve myself before others, stay alive and survive. That part of me can't understand why people would sacrifice themselves for others, family or not. That part grew over the time I was with the Vatican."

"Is the part that understands still there?" Shiro asked gently.

"Of course it is," Rin replied. "If it wasn't, the Vatican wouldn't be dead."

Shiro nodded slowly. "I love you, you know that, right?"

Rin swallowed thickly and gave a shaky breath. "I know. I've always known. That's...thinking about how much you love...loved me hurt because it was your demise. I...I loved you, too. I'll always love you. You're my dad."

"And you're my son," Shiro smiled, gathering the man in his arms and squeezing. "You've grown up, matured into a fine young man. I'm proud."

"Proud?" The arms around Shiro tensed and a bitter laugh sounded. "I'm a murderer, not quite sane, and my morals are fucked. Fine young man, my ass."

"I think you turned out quite well," Shiro said.

"That's what you see," Rin sighed. "but it's not true. You haven't seen me, seen me lose it, seen me act...act like the monster I turned into."

"I don't have to," Shiro told him, pulling back and gripping his son's shoulders. "I don't have to see what you've done, what you think, what you act like, or what you turn into when you lose control. You're my son, you're Rin, and even after everything, I know you'll always have a good heart. That's never going to change, son."

Rin clenched his teeth and shut his eyes, but he couldn't speak, couldn't let tears fall. He couldn't.

"Rin," Shiro whispered. "Just cry."

"I can't..."

"Cry," Shiro coaxed again. "Just break down, let it out. Please. You don't have to be strong anymore."

"Yes, yes, I do..."

"Not here, not now. Everyone can be strong, but you can't be strong forever. Let someone be the strong one now. Let me be strong for you, Rin."

And Rin shattered, sobbing. "Dad...I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," Shiro hugged his son. "Never apologize for who you are."

"I hate this, I hate who I am, I hate that I can't...can't let myself cry, can't be better..." Rin trembled.

"You're better than anyone I've ever met. Maybe you can't let yourself cry, maybe you do hate yourself, but you can learn to break that. When you go back, let them be there for you," Shiro comforted.

"You're not alone anymore, Rin."

* * *

Rin stood tall in front of Mephisto as said demon smirked. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready for ten minutes, you clown," Rin glared. "I should've burnt this room down five minutes ago."

Mephisto sighed dramatically but shrugged. "Can't please them all. This will feel a bit weird."

Rin cracked his knuckles and popped his neck. "I was swallowed by a wooden cuckoo clock. Give me some credit."

Mephisto hummed, smiling, before lifting his hand, ready to snap his fingers.

"Rin."

Rin turned to see his dad standing there with a small smile. "Dad?"

"Remember what I told you," Shiro smiled.

Rin nodded firmly, eyes shining. "I love you."

Shiro grinned. "I love you, too, son."

A snap of fingers echoed, and Rin was gone.

* * *

Rin expected to appear back at the Cram School, but in the middle of a class? Not expected.

"Didn't Sir Pheles tell you to quit interrupting classes?" The teacher huffed in irritation.

Rin blinked and frowned. "No, actually. I was actually swallowed by a cuckoo clock a few hours ago. Sent me back in time, and I made Mephisto send me back."

Bon stared with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Of course not," Izumo scoffed. "He's joking."

Rin eyed the purple-haired girl. "I'm not joking, Ms. Kamiki. I don't do jokes."

Izumo shivered for a moment before tearing her eyes away from his. "Whatever."

The younger Rin wilted in his seat when his future self glared at him. "If you ever take help from Mephisto again, we'll be having a very long _talk_."

The older Rin turned to leave the room, but took the chance to swiftly flip around, lunging for an attack at the younger.

"Gah!"

"I'll be telling the Headmaster about this!" The teacher threatened uselessly.

Rin leaned back as he watched his younger self scramble to collect himself. "You have a long way to go, kid."

"I know that," the younger snapped in embarrassment.

Rin stared blankly before an amused smirk crept onto his face. The younger Rin saw this and eyed him suspiciously. "What?"

"Nothing," Rin shook his head and began to leave. "Just remembering something Dad told me a few hours ago. About how he always figured that taking care of a teenage me was going to be a challenge."

"Wha-?!" The younger shrieked. "Since when?! Wait, you saw Dad when you-"

But Rin was already gone. The younger growled and raced out after him. "Get back here! I demand answers!"

"Rin Okumura!" The teacher barked. "Get back in your seat this instant!"

"Kiss my ass!" The younger cried agitatedly from down the hall.

"...Does anyone know what just happened?" Shiemi asked quietly.

"Not really," Konekomaru shook his head.

"Nope," Shima admitted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this one! I hope you enjoyed it, and please tell me if you see any spelling/grammar mistakes. Bye my doggies!


	18. Danny Phantom: Dream Is A Reality - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had more plot idea for this one, so I decided to share it with you guys! Please read part one and two before reading this. Thanks!

Danny hummed to himself, staring at the stars on his roof. The night air was biting at his skin, but it didn't affect him. He could barely feel it despite the fact that he had no coat.

His mind wandered as he counted the constellations and their locations in the sky.

A voice suddenly drifted to his ears, a whisper in the wind that he could hear perfectly. "Danny...!"

Looking down, he saw a familiar goth standing below him in a coat and purple hat. "Danny..."

"Sam?" He questioned.

"Danny? It's too dark, I can't see you. Where are you?" She asked, glancing at the top of Danny's house, his voice having drifted from there. "Are you on the roof?"

"Yeah," he replied, hesitantly letting his eyes light up. Her purple eyes widened in shock. "See me now?"

"Yeah," she breathed in awe but quickly tried to hide it. She could tell Danny was hesitant about using his abilities free-range like that, especially around her. He was trusting her, and she had to show him she was worthy of that trust. "Can I come up?"

"Sure," Danny shrugged. "How are you going to get up here, though?"

"How'd you get up there?" Sam asked.

The eerie green glow and rising colored smoke from his eyes shadowed his face, but it gave just enough light for her to see his eyebrows raise. "How do you think?"

"...Oh," she blushed. "Yeah, that should've been obvious."

Danny chuckled before leaping down to join her on the ground, slowing his fall just before his feet touched solid dirt. "It's fine. I get that you're not used to my powers."

"I should be," Sam frowned. "I feel like I can't accept it, but I do at the same time."

"You accept it, Sam," he said, "you just need more time to adjust. I know I first did when I was in my dream world. You do not want to know how many times my pants fell down and got me stuck in detention, trust me."

She laughed. "Yeah, that would've been traumatic," Sam joked.

Danny chuckled before glancing back up to the roof.

"Want to go back up?" Sam guessed. "I can leave if you'd like."

"No," Danny smiled, shaking his head. He turned back to her, eyes that were back to blue brimming with hope. "Want to come with me?"

Sam blinked in shock. "Really? I mean, I can tell you were uncomfortable letting your eyes glow with me here, so to ask me if I want to...You're putting a lot of trust into me."

Danny said nothing, just smiled gently and held out a hand. She smiled and gripped his hand tightly. "Just don't drop me."

"Promise," he laughed.

The feeling of weightlessness took hold of Sam as her feet lifted off the ground. Her stomach rose to her chest before dropping again and settling. "Woah..."

"I know, right? To me, it's like...freedom," Danny grinned without worry.

"I'm only holding your hand, but I'm floating. How does that...?"

"I can transfer my energy to someone through touch. I can make you invisible and intangible, too, but let's take things slow. Those powers are pretty weird the first time around," Danny explained as they flew to the top of the house and landed. "Of course, most of my other powers don't work that way considering the fact that a normal human body wouldn't be able to handle it without burning up, exploding, etc. Take my ectoblasts for example. If I were to try and transfer that to you through my energy, you'd most likely burn from the inside out. My ice would probably give you frostbite. It would either kill you or make you lose a limb or two."

"You have ice powers?" Sam asked in surprise. "Way to go, Elsa."

"Please don't," Danny sighed. "I've had enough of those jokes in my dream world. I don't need them in reality."

"Show me?" Sam suggested softly.

Danny became nervous, a frown marring his features. "I...I don't know. Two powers in under ten minutes is enough, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Sam shrugged, "but I happen to think otherwise. I know you're hesitant, Danny, but nothing will ever make me think differently about you."

Danny sighed, plopping down to let his legs dangle off the edge. Sam joined him seconds after. "I'm not human, Sam, not completely. You can protest that if you want, but it's not going to make it any less truer. It's not that I'm ashamed because I'm not. I'm just afraid that _you guys_ will be ashamed."

Sam took his hand and squeezed it. "Never in a million years, Danny."

"How about a billion?" Danny joked weakly.

Sam smiled. "Never in forever."

Danny stared at her, searching her eyes for any doubt or hesitance, but there was none, only trust and faith. Trust and faith in him.

He took a deep breath before nodding, letting his eyes glow an icy blue as he held out his hand. A small ice crystal began to form before dropping in his hands. He held it out to Sam.

"Here," he smiled. "Consider it a gift. I can do other things like snow and such, but that's the usual way I display this power."

Sam took it, rolling it gently in her palms. "How long will it take to melt?"

"Do you want it to?" Danny asked, and she shook her head in confusion. "Then it won't."

"Huh?"

"Its ghost ice. It doesn't melt unless I want it to. If you don't want it to melt, then neither do I," Danny explained.

Sam smiled and placed it in her pocket. "Danny, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Are we...are we still, you know? Are we still together after all this?" She asked nervously.

Danny sighed and glanced up at the darkened sky. "Before all this, I probably would've said no. You couldn't trust me, not that I could blame you. But now, do you trust me?"

"I understand now," Sam told him. "I understand why you did what you did, why you lied. Of course I trust you. I've always trusted you, even when I said otherwise."

"Then the only answer I can give you is in the form of a question," Danny locked eyes with her. "Do you want to be?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"Then, yes," Danny smiled mysteriously.

There were no hugs, no kisses or more words, only comfortable silence as they both glanced to the stars and stared into the abyss.

* * *

 When Sam opened her eyes, she didn't expect a gentle breeze to ruffle her hair and clouds to meet her eyes high above her head.

Shooting up, she realized she'd fallen asleep on her friend's roof the night before. Glancing to her right, she saw Danny, lips slightly parted, hair a mess, and blue eyes closed.

She noticed by looking closer that he seemed...tense, on guard. Sam frowned, knowing that Danny would never feel completely safe again.

"Danny!" She whispered urgently. "Danny, wake up!"

This small act startled Danny, the aforementioned male leaping up with a loud battle cry before sinking through the roof.

Sam jerked at his sudden actions as she heard a loud crash, signaling he'd crashed into something on his way down.

A few seconds later, a sheepish Danny floated through the roof, hovering next to Sam with a red/green blush on his face. "Oops..."

Sam laughed before smiling brightly. "Hey! You blush green, too!"

Danny flushed deeper and turned his face away. "Well, yeah. The red dominates my blood in my human form, so only a little bit of green shows, along with a slight glow. The opposite has to do with my ghost form."

"I'd be careful around others then," Sam warned. "I can just see you blushing in a dark room. That'd be a disaster in its own right."

Danny chuckled, blush fading. "I've already thought that over quite a few times."

Sam looked down at the streets. "I should probably get home before my parents call the cops."

"Want a ride?" Danny asked hesitantly.

Sam grinned at her boyfriend. "You know what? I'd love one."

* * *

 As Danny dropped Sam off in her room, her door was slammed open.

"I can explain!" Sam exclaimed, ready to defend her boyfriend.

"Samantha Manson! Where on earth have you been?!" Pamela hissed angrily.

"Uh..." Sam looked behind her to see...nothing. "I...I saw an injured cat out on the road so I went to help it, but it tried to run, so I spent my whole night chasing it."

It was a pathetic lie, but her parents bought it anyway. Her grandma just flashed Sam a cheeky wink and smiled.

Once they left, Sam muttered, "Danny?"

"I'm here," the corner of her room spoke as Danny materialized back into view. "Scare you?"

"Surprise," she corrected. "How'd you do that so fast?"

"I heard them coming," Danny admitted. "I was prepared."

"Could've warned me," Sam huffed.

"Where's the fun in that?" Danny smirked.

Sam rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "Mmh."

Danny sighed, glancing out her window. "I better go. It's Saturday, and I have to clean the lab."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Sam asked.

"I'll be fine," Danny waved her worries off. "I just have to wear gloves when dealing with some of their chemicals. Plus, I'll have to shut down their ghosts detectors and stuff, but it'll be fine. I've been doing it for years in my dream world. I'll only have issues if they have blood blossoms down there."

"Blood blossoms?"

"They're a deadly plant to ghosts. Once the effects have taken place, the only way to eradicate them is to destroy them. Eating them is one way," Danny chuckled. "Tucker learned that the hard way."

"Don't tell me he had to eat the things," Sam gasped in mirth.

Danny shrugged. "It was either that or let me die. A sad but hilarious moment."

Sam sobered a bit at that, but amusement still twinkled in her eyes.

Danny hummed and smiled at her. "I'll see you around."

"Danny?" Sam asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can I...can I see your ghost form?" She asked.

Danny froze and laughed nervously. "Wh-what? You've...you've already seen it."

"Once," Sam corrected, "and that was when you pretended to not know Tucker and me. I haven't seen it since, aside from the occasional "scary eyes." I'm just curious."

Danny flinched. "Don't...don't call them that."

"What?" Sam frowned.

"Don't call them scary eyes," he swallowed. "Just don't. Please."

Sam bit her lip. "Danny, I didn't-"

"I know," he cut her off. "It just brings up...less than fun memories."

"What do you mean?"

Danny chuckled lowly. "First my ghost form, now my dream world. Prying, aren't we, Sammy?"

"Maybe," Sam admitted, "but I won't judge you. Didn't we talk about this last night?"

"...You know who Vlad Masters is, don't you?" He asked.

"Yeah, he's rich and the mayor of Amity Park," Sam frowned. "Why?"

"He's friends with my parents, but in my dream world, our first meeting...wasn't the best."

Sam gulped, a feeling of dread building. "What...what do you mean?"

"It was a family reunion, not very long after I got my powers. Vlad was hosting it. He invited my parents and us to come spend the night before the reunion party. When we got there, something, I didn't know what, was off about him. He seemed to have this creepy crush on my mom and might have resented my dad a bit, but that was it as far as I could see," Danny explained.

"That night, I awoke to my ghost sense. I transformed and found these ghost vultures, ones I recognized from the day before. They tried to kill my dad as he was sleepwalking through the halls, but I managed to stop them. I was confronted by a ghost by the name of Plasmius moments later. I was still very new to my powers, and he was the strongest ghost I had attempted to fight yet. I lost, badly, and passed out. I later awoke in my bed, unharmed with Vlad standing in my doorway, expressing his concerns for me. I still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he gave me."

"The night of the reunion, he asked me to go to his lab and nab a gift he had gotten my dad. I agreed, but as I walked down the halls, I had a very forbidding feeling that I tried to ignore. When I saw the gift, I made to grab it, but it quickly transformed into a box that had me trapped and my powers useless."

"Skulker approached me, a ghost that in my dream world wanted to skin me for my pelt," Danny explained.

"Gross!" Sam gagged.

Danny smiled but continued on. "Before he could do anything, Vlad barged in, ordering Skulker to leave me be. The forbidding feeling surfaced again, and I knew I was in too deep. Vlad revealed that he was Plasmius, another half ghost like me. Vlad Plasmius was his full name. He was insane, wanting to kill my dad, marry my mom, and have me as his own son and apprentice. Of course, I don't think he considered Jazz."

"Other things happened that night, but he became my worst enemy. He tried to kill dad on a daily basis and even risked your guys' lives to get me to help him. While I hated him, I also understood him. It was a conflicting relationship with conflicting emotions. I didn't let that stop me from doing the right thing, though," Danny frowned. "That, sadly, ended with his banishment to space. I'm not sure if he survived, but I do know he was never able to return to earth."

"Danny..." Sam murmured.

"He was insane, but he was still an old man looking for family. He...he was lost, but I hoped I could save him. Unfortunately, he was too far gone," Danny shook his head. "He...used to call my ghost eyes "scary eyes." I hated that."

"I'm sorry," Sam frowned. "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't," he smiled gently. "Thankfully, he's human here and very much not crazy. I'm just waiting for the moment we encounter each other. I know that he's not like the Vlad I knew, but it won't stop me from being weary and thinking he is, you know?"

"Anyone can understand that," Sam assured him. "It's logical."

Danny closed his eyes before opening them slowly and looking at her with determination. "This is going to be bright."

"What...?" Sam gasped as rings formed around his waist and split up and down.

Once they reached his toes and top of his head, they sizzled out, and Phantom was left floating in Danny's place.

"Danny...?" She asked hesitantly, reaching her hand out to his cheek.

Phantom smiled at her, and while it looked creepier than it should have, it comforted Sam. "It's me, Sammy."

She touched his cheek and shivered at the cold touch but didn't retreat. In fact, her hand pressed more firmly into his face. Her thumb brushed over his pale skin, and he locked eerie glowing eyes with her pale purple.

"You're...amazing," she breathed. "Unique, ethereal, extraordinary."

"I'm a ghost," Danny told her. "I've always been a ghost."

His lips found hers, and despite the cold touching her, Sam could only feel warmth. And just like the night she found him sneaking out, a breeze flitted through the room, and he was gone when she opened her eyes.

"I love you, too, Danny."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hope you liked this! Tell me if you want me to make one with Vlad and Danny meeting. Bye my doggies!


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